All schools need a set anti bullying policy

In light of the tragic death of 13 year old Erin Gallagher from Donegal, I am calling for the introduction of a national anti bullying policy into every school in Ireland. This anti bullying policy should include instances of cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying has become a worldwide issue and needs to be tackled immediately in order to ensure the safety of vulnerable children.

It is just as damaging and hurtful as bullying that is experienced in the schoolyard. It needs to be treated as such by the Gardai, teachers or anyone who is involved in child welfare. This type of bulling can escalate and spread quickly because the nature of online bullying as well as its anonymity.

Parents need to be educated about this medium of bullying which many are unaware of – the sites used are not always large organisations like Facebook and twitter. Text messages and other sites can be used to harass or communicate threatening messages to the victim.

There is a ‘digital disconnect’ between the older generation and children with regard to cyber bullying, some parents may be totally unaware of their teenager’s activities online.

Censorship is not the answer, if children want to access a particular site they will find a way. It is crucial for parents to take the opportunity to speak openly about the issue with their children and to ask about their activity online.

School is where much of this bullying originates, so while interaction at home involving parents is important, educating children in school about cyber bullying is necessary to deal with the issue head on.

Each school, both secondary and primary needs to aim to educate children by the use of guest speakers, approved videos or classes which explain the negative impact of cyber bullying and how to cope if it is happening to you.

The most important step which needs to be taken is that every school in Ireland needs to have an Anti Bullying policy which is
uniform and mandatory, this would include cyber bullying and be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure it is still fit for purpose.

This policy should set out specific measures to combat bullying and be circulated among all staff. Elements which should be
included are how incidents are handled, what to look out for, who to contact for information and advice etc. This would minimize confusion and set out a clear procedure for schools if an incident of bullying or cyber bullying arises.