This article reports on the relationship between same-sex attraction, experience of bullying in school and mental health measured using the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12). A random sample of 16 year olds, drawn from the Child Benefit Register, was invited to take part in the 2005 Young Life and Times survey, which is a…

Background: Listening to how people talk about the consequences of acquired aphasia helps one gain insight into how people construe disability and communication disability in particular. It has been found that some of these construals can be more of a disabling barrier in re-engaging with life than the communication impairment itself. Aims: To…

This paper outlines research that was conducted among students, parents, teachers and senior management teams in six secondary schools in the Greater Dublin area of Ireland. The research involved semi-structured interviews and observations. The findings of this research are significant in that it was the first time any data had been gathered on…

Family literacy programmes have become increasingly popular with policy-makers as a means of addressing low levels of adult literacy. It is believed that such initiatives will help to address social exclusion and aid greater economic participation by those in deprived communities or from disadvantaged sectors of society. The growing interest in…

While developments have been made concerning the understanding of general bullying behaviour in Irish schools, considerably less is known about homophobic bullying. Presented here are the findings of a study into the views and perspectives of a self-selected sample of 123 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) secondary school-aged young…

In 2000, the Government of the Republic of Ireland introduced a syllabus for second-level schools (12-15 years) in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE). Within this SPHE syllabus there is a significant component on Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). In terms of diversity and equality it is questionable to what extent this newly…

This paper considers the construction and experience of racisms among a sample of primary school children in Ireland during a period of intensive immigration. Placing children's voices at the centre of the analysis, it explores how children's constructions draw upon discourses of "norm" and "other" in relation to national…

Given the changing patterns of immigration in the Republic of Ireland in the past 10 years, this article considers how factors related to ethnic and gender identity mediate children's interaction with one another in a newly multi-ethnic Irish primary school. Central to the analysis is the exercise of power between children and how the experience…

Surveyed 420 Dublin adults to examine attitudes toward the role and status of women in Ireland. Results indicated that males, older people, and those of lower SES background held more traditional attitudes and were less likely to favor social policies associated with greater equality. (JAC)

For many years, Northern Ireland has been living under the shadow of civil strife. These years have produced relatively little literature, either adult or juvenile, which deals directly with the so-called "troubles." Literature can play an important role guiding against prejudicial attitudes and in educating individuals about society as…

Selected results from two nationwide surveys of subjective social indicators conducted in the Republic of Ireland in 1977 and 1978 are presented. Approximately 2,000 respondents were randomly selected from the Electoral Register for each of two surveys. The surveys were part of a series of experimental studies of subjective social indicators…

Background: The provision of professional development (PD) for teachers in schools is now a major concern of most national government and teaching organisations. To provide quality PD for teachers, we must understand the aspirations, needs and interests of teachers, as they are key factors in the complex world of teaching and learning. Therefore…

Helping students to understand how and why people in the present interpret the past differently is a challenge. It is also vital if we are to develop an understanding of why the meanings we ascribe to the past are not fixed, but rather are subject to our own prejudices or goals. A number of articles in previous editions have explored how students…

This theme issue of the Bernard van Leer Foundation newsletter focuses on the problem of teenage pregnancy and teenage parenthood in developing and developed nations, and examines the problems that teenage mothers face in different societies. It explores societal norms and values related to teenage parenting; the effects of teenage parents on…

This book describes the outcomes of a comparative study that brought together an international team of researchers from eight countries (United States, Scotland, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, and England). The purpose of the study was to develop case studies that would explore the process of inclusion and exclusion…