Report shows Irish teachers’ concern over bullying of practicing Catholic students – Catholic World Report

A report on a survey of 214 religious education teachers in Ireland is raising alarm that students who practice a religion, particularly Catholicism, are being bullied for their beliefs. In Ireland, religious education is a compulsory subject for all pupils. The survey studied teachers in post-primary schools, which are typically schools for children over the age of 12. The report, “Inclusive Religious Education: The Voices of Religious Education Teachers in Post Primary Schools in Ireland, Identity, bullying and inclusion” was authored by Dr. Amalee Meehan and Derek A. Laffan, MSc. The National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre and Dublin City University published the report, which was released in August 2021. “Students of faith are vulnerable to bullying. The negative view of faith and faith schools contributes to this effect, making students of faith a vulnerable group,” said the report. “The most vulnerable group of second level school students to emerge from the open forum are practising Catholics; the least vulnerable are those who profess a nonreligious or atheist worldview,” they said. The report blamed growing secular behaviors for why religious students would be targeted, and teachers reported “evidence of pressure on students to be/ identify as a non-believer.”

Report shows Irish teachers’ concern over bullying of practicing Catholic students – Catholic World Report