Mr. Ben Holmes:

Good afternoon. I thank the chairperson and members of the committee for inviting me to contribute to this meeting today and for listening to me. My name is Ben Holmes. I am a sixth year student in FCJ Bunclody in Wexford and I have been a member of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel for the past three years. Throughout my time on the panel, I have had the opportunity to mentor Safer Internet Day ambassadors from schools across Ireland, contributed to national and international organisations and, recently, I did an interview with a fellow panellist on "Ireland AM". Webwise, through connections with organisations and the Government and informing students, teachers and parents, aims to promote safer use of the Internet and, in conjunction, mental well-being for young people.

As a young person, I hope I can help to provide insight into the stress and anxiety students face, the affects of bullying and cyberbullying and what the Government could do to combat it. I know first-hand that bullying and mental health is one of the biggest social topics on people’s minds today when it comes to schools and young people. My generation has grown up in a very different world and environment from the one that existed when many of the people attending this meeting were in school. It is apparent that much of the infrastructure to deal with these issues needs to be consistently updated to connect with students in an engaging way.

From my personal experience, I know that many of programmes given by teachers and the Garda vary in quality and effectiveness and that, generally, regulations around bullying and dealing with mental health in schools differ quite a bit. It is unclear exactly what kind of anti-bullying systems schools should have and what situations schools have the ability to deal with, whether within the school, outside of it or even online, when it comes to cyberbullying. These decisions are often left to senior management and the principal and this causes some schools to do nothing while others are overbearing or invasive.

As a young person, I have been lectured on bullying and mental health many times during my time in secondary school, but only a handful of these talks have either informed or enlightened me. Programmes such as those delivered by the Garda often only cover the legal implications when it comes to illicit image sharing and violence, and much of the information provided by schools and by the Government omits the mental and social aspect of these situations. While it is essential to explain the legal and logistical side of bullying, cyberbullying and online safety, this is not conducive an environment that destigmatises and comprehensively addresses topics that are ultimately the main cause of stress, anxiety and depression for young people.

As a Cycle Against Suicide ambassador I understand the need to handle these topics and situations in not only a careful and mindful way, but also with a humanising and empathic approach. From the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel and the many other youth activism programmes I have been involved in, I understand the importance of peer-to-peer learning and seeing the full picture from professionals, other young people, organisations and law enforcement. As a member of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel, I have acted as a mentor and trained other students to lead online safety and anti-bullying initiatives in their own schools as part of the Webwise Safer Internet Day ambassador programme.

To guarantee the safety and well-being of all students, anti-bullying and student information programmes have to be consistent within each school. Encouraging second level institutions to train teachers and staff to deal with these issues in a thorough way would also help humanise the issues. To help students understand the implications of their words and actions, a system where these situations would be met with mediation rather than just punishment, would allow students to learn to stop bullying and understand their peers rather than learn to not get caught.To educate all parties involved in bullying and mental health in school, a holistic approach where all stakeholders are involved and a wide range of informed views are presented, would be beneficial. I hope what I have said and will say provides the committee with more insight into the issues and will inform it in how it can create more effective and engaging systems that will benefit not only second-level students but also teachers, parents and society as a whole.