There are several good conflict mediation programs available to schools. If Ireland wants to be proactive (which will probably get him farher with school authorities), he can investigate various programs and present some of them to the school as a positive approach to their problem (and yes, bullying is a problem at a school whenever it occurs).
That said, these programs are not silver bullets, and bullies DO NEED TO BE DEALT with in schools. Intervention not only helps the victims, but it may also save the bullies themselves from becoming lifelong agitators.   We can make changes occurr.