To ask the Minister of Education to detail any guidance his Department provides to schools on trauma-informed approaches when responding to bullying behaviour.

The Education Authority’s (EA) Addressing Bullying in Schools Implementation Team (ABSIT) provides schools with advice, guidance and training to address concerns related to alleged bullying type behaviour in their setting within a trauma informed framework.

Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) is central to ABSIT’s training programme and their advisory model, contributing to effective safeguarding through advocating preventative measures and early intervention. ABSIT support is developed on six foundational pillars which promote and inform effective prevention and response to bullying type behaviour. These are: Trauma Informed Practice, Safe Supportive Learning Environment, Nurture Principles, Steps to Wellbeing, Restorative Practice and Positive Approaches to Social Behavioural and Emotional Wellbeing.

ABSIT provides three key forms of training which embed traumainformed approaches across the school system:

Foundational Online Training – equipping all staff with an understanding of safeguarding duties, legislative requirements and traumainformed best practice. Staff report feeling more confident and consistent in responding to concerns, supporting early intervention.

EightModule Leadership Training – enabling principals, senior leaders and governors to build wholeschool cultures that prioritise safety, wellbeing and traumainformed approaches. Participants are encouraged to complete the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) traumainformed toolkit to strengthen wholeschool implementation.

Targeted TraumaInformed Advice – ABSIT provides structured advice to schools in complex bullying cases, ensuring responses are aligned with safeguarding legislation and departmental guidance. This helps schools assess concerns, identify gaps and ensure that support plans reflect traumainformed practice.

Furthermore, ABSIT officers are all SBNI TIP trainers and currently are participating in the SBNI Leading with a Trauma-Informed Lens leadership training programme.