Online Safety

Today's children and young people have grown up in a world that is very different from the one that most adults grew up in. Digital technologies are such an integral part of their everyday lives. Many young people experience the internet and mobile phones as a positive, productive and creative part of their development; always on and always there, allowing them to feel connected to their peers. Unfortunately, such technologies are also being used negatively. As mobile phone and internet use become increasingly common, so has the misuse of this technology to bully.

Cyberbullying is the use of Information Communications Technology (ICT), particularly mobile phones and the internet, to deliberately upset someone else and current research in this area indicates that it is a feature of many young people's lives. When children are the target of bullying via mobile phones or the internet, they can feel alone and very misunderstood. They may not be able to indentify that what is happening to them is a form of bullying or be confident that the surrounding adults will understand it that way either. Previously enjoyable activities and environments become threatening and the source of anxiety.

We are receiving increased reports of students experiencing various forms of cyberbullying with the majority of incidents happening on Facebook, Instagram and other social networking sites. As students do not have access to Facebook on the school network, this is taking place on computers outside of school or on mobile phones and other devices on which they have internet access.

We have listed some useful websites below that could give you more information on this subject.