Written answers

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Cyberbullying Issues

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

826. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the systems that are being rolled out to combat the dramatic increase in cyber bullying, as outlined by the ISPCC to the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11486/17]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In its appearance before the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on 22 February 2017, the ISPCC outlined and discussed with the Committee a number of concerns about online habits and how young people interact with each other using modern technologies. Cyber bullying was one such concern, but discussions also took place around issues such as excessive time spent online, sexting, “sextortion” and blackmail, access to inappropriate content and cyber identity. These are all complex issues, exacerbated by the rate at which technological developments continue to happen.

A number of very valid concerns were also raised around grooming and the dangers inherent in engaging with strangers online. Combatting online child grooming is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, and is addressed as part of a wide-ranging package of measures aimed at the reform of Ireland’s criminal law on sexual offences, set out in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Education emerged in the discussions as a fundamental issue for parents and young people, with parental guidance, supervision, and the setting of boundaries considered critical to ensuring children’s safety online. The saferinternetireland.ie website has a range of resources aimed at parents and their children, including a recent ‘Family e-Safety Kit’ activity pack aimed at six to twelve-year-olds. The ISPCC itself has developed guidelines and supports for parents.

The Office for Internet Safety, an executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality, was established by the Government to take a lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children. That Office has previously published guidance related to cyber bullying and filtering technologies for parents. As part of its work it holds an annual Safer Internet Day, whose theme this year was ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’. It also supports the ‘Hotline.ie’ service. In addition toHotline.ie, there are a number of other websites, such as Childline and webwise, that have the capacity to facilitate anyone to report suspicious behaviour encountered online.

My Department supports the National Youth Health Programme which is in partnership with the HSE and the National Youth Council of Ireland. The programme's aims are to provide a broad based, flexible health promotion / education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings. The ‘Web Safety in Youth Work’ resource, available on the National Youth Council’s website, provides valuable advice to young people on reporting online behaviour and on passing on concerns about the protection and welfare of a child or young person.

In seeking to address the problem of bullying we must tackle the root causes of bullying. This includes a focus on tackling prejudice, including homophobia, where it exists in our schools and wider society. The implementation of the Action Plan on Bullying, which is being led by the Department of Education and Skills, provides the framework for the Government’s absolute commitment to working with a broad base of interests to protect children from bullying and the often devastating consequences that it can have.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.