National conference addresses issue of cyberbullying
Bully4U and the Anti Bullying Centre at Dublin City University last week hosted Ireland’s first ever national cyberbullying conference, ‘Understanding and Managing Cyberbullying.’ The conference, which took place in Dublin Castle on Monday 1st September, included a range of child protection, social media and cyberbullying experts from Ireland and abroad who spoke and shared their knowledge on this growing social phenomenon.
A recent survey by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals found 16 per cent of Irish students have experienced bullying online (a 33% increase on 2013). The conference’s aim was to educate and empower parents, teachers and health professionals in providing support to victims and developing cyberbullying prevention and intervention strategies. It also provided a forum for organisations working at the coalface with the effects of online bullying to share their experience in recognising, monitoring and preventing this type of communication.
The conference was officially opened by Seán Kelly, MEP for the Digital Agenda and the speaker line-up drew on a wide range of expertise and experience in the area of online bullying:
- Mr Simon Milner, Director of Policy for UK, Middle East and Africa, Facebook
How best can we encourage people to be kinder online? Evidence and experience from Facebook
- Ms Patricia Cartes, Head of Gobal Safety Outreach, Public Policy at Twitter
Safety at Twitter: Overview of Twitter’s policies, procedures ad collaborations with experts to fight and prevent abuse on Twitter’s platform
- Ms Carla Licciardello, UN International Communications Union
ITU Child Online Protection Focal Point
- Dr. Helen Gleeson, Anna Freud Centre in London
Cyberbullying: How do we separate the truth from the myth?
- Dr Geoffrey Shannon, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection
Children and Internet Safety – some recent developments
- Dr James O’Higgins Norman, Director Anti-Bullying Centre at DCU
Giving Voice to the Online Experiences of Young People
- Mr David Fagan, Health & Safety Law Expert, Business Legal Ltd
Don’t be taught a lesson. Liability of schools and personal liability of teachers under health and safety law
- Mr Clive Byrne, Director, national Association of Principals and Deputy Principals
Facing up to cyberbullying – the courage to act
- Mr Kevin Deering, Senior Facilitator, Bully4u and Mr Colmon Noctor, Psychoanalytical Psychotherapist, St Patrick’s Adolescent Service, Dublin
The effects of cyberbullying on the mental health and importance of early interventions
There was much coverage of the event in national media over the past number of weeks, with RTÉ, Independent Newspapers, the Irish Times, Irish Examiner and many more outlets covering the conference:
The Herald: http://www.herald.ie/news/fine-the-parents-of-children-who-cyberbully-100-30553312.html
The Journal: http://www.thejournal.ie/cyberbullying-conference-dublin-1649302-Sep2014/
Irish Examiner: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abuse-case-ruling-raised-the-bar-for-child-protection-284463.html