We at the Anti-Bullying Alliance are proud to launch our All Together Guide and CPD training course for preventing and responding to sectarian bullying behaviour among children and young people in Northern Ireland.
These resources are designed for educators, youth workers, policymakers, and community leaders to help prevent and respond effectively to sectarian bullying. They draw on the key findings of the research, include the voices of those affected, and provide actionable recommendations.
“This Guide and Online Training Course for the Children’s Workforce (i.e. professionals that work with children and young people), based on our timely piece of research, shines a spotlight on a problem that is too often overlooked or trivialised as normal and acceptable behaviour. Drawing on the voices of children and young people themselves, it provides a compelling and at times deeply uncomfortable account of how sectarian attitudes and behaviours continue to blight their lives. It also reveals how such bullying behaviour is experienced, responded to and, in some cases, ignored.”
- Professor Noel Purdy OBE
Director of Research and Scholarship, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
The All Together project, funded by the Reconciliation Fund of the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, set out to explore the nature and extent of sectarian bullying among children and young people in Northern Ireland. Data collection was carried out by the Anti-Bullying Alliance between December 2024 and January 2025, and the analysis was undertaken by the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) at Stranmillis University College, Belfast.
Summary of Key Findings from our research:
- Sectarian bullying is still widespread, involving verbal abuse, physical violence, and social exclusion based on perceived community identity. It often takes place in schools, public spaces and online.
- Young people are desensitised to sectarian abuse, often minimising verbal or online incidents and rarely reporting them unless physical. This normalisation contributes to poor responses and underreporting.
- Shared education and open dialogue are widely seen as key to breaking down prejudice and preventing bullying. Young people value opportunities to build understanding across communities.