TheCity

Tag: cyber bullying

  • FUSE campaign to stop bullying at it’s core

    FUSE campaign to stop bullying at it’s core

    By David O’Farrell

    FUSE  is a brand-new anti-bullying and online safety programme, developed by the anti-bullying research and resource centre in Dublin City University, with the support of social media giant, Facebook.

    FUSE was first launched in Dublin, September of this year.

    TheCity.ie spoke to Darran Heaney, project manager of FUSE, to find out where the implementation of the programme is currently at. He said: “In February 2019, we ran a pilot to test the curriculum with 20 schools. We have now offered out the FUSE programme to schools across the country. This took place in September.”

    The programme is aimed at second year students in junior cycle, their parents and school staff in post-primary schools across Ireland.

    It is also a research project, with surveys having begun with participating students, teachers and parents. The next stage of the programme is the delivery of six workshops to students by their teachers.

    “FUSE aims to empower students to be able to tackle bullying themselves”

    The workshops will involve students creating a project or intervention to tackle bullying and raise awareness of online safety in their school.

    Heaney added: “FUSE aims to empower students to be able to tackle bullying themselves, knowing that they have their teachers and parents in the background as support.

    “With online bullying now a norm, it means that children can be targeted whenever and wherever they are. Schools and parents no longer have control over what is happening, and the FUSE programme attempts to tackle these problems.”

    A recent study carried out by ABC, the national anti-bullying research and resource centre, reported that 26% of primary school children in the country said they had been bullied offline, while 13% said they had been bullied online. In secondary schools, the figures were lower but still significant, with 12% saying they had been bullied offline and 10% online.

    “Schools and parents no longer have control over what is happening, and the FUSE programme attempts to tackle these problems”

    The initiative will be carried out over a year-long period, which Heaney explained aims to stop bullying in schools. He said: “[FUSE] is delivered by teachers who are anti-bullying coordinators in each school and over the course of the year, students are empowered to tackle bullying and raise awareness of online safety in their schools.”

    ABC has provided a curriculum to support teachers and students in achieving the project goals, which include reducing levels of bullying; increased reporting of bullying incidents; raise awareness of online safety, and increase inclusiveness within schools.

    FUSE currently has a timeline of events set out on its website which will run until April 2020. Second year students involved in the FUSE programme are encouraged to make projects around tackling online bullying which will be showcased on Safer Internet Day in February 2020. These projects will then be presented to the National Anti-Bullying Centre in April 2020, with the best winning praise from the centre in recognition of students’ efforts to stop online bullying.

  • Tarnished Social Networking Brand to Locate in Dublin

    Tarnished Social Networking Brand to Locate in Dublin

    Ask.fm A major social networking site is setting up its headquarters in Ireland much to the disapproval of the Irish public.  

    Controversial site Ask.fm announced in early November that it is moving its head office from its current base in Latvia to Dublin.

    The move has sparked outrage among many, including Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan who took to Twitter to voice that the move was a  “matter of concern” and would be raised with his Government colleagues.

    Ask.fm is a social networking site that allows users to send questions and comments anonymously to other users, and to be questioned in return.

    According to the sites official page, Ask.fm has “more than 120 million members in over 150 countries” with approximately “25 billion answers.”

    The site has come under huge criticism in recent years as it has been linked to cyber-bullying resulting in a number of suicides among young people including Irish teens Ciara Pugsley and Erin Gallagher. Both girls died tragically in 2012, reportedly because they were both victims of bullying on the site.

    Ciara Pugsley’s father Jonathan is now urging the Government to take action against the move and is shocked that the relocation was allowed to take place in the first place.

    Speaking on the Ray D’Arcy show, the Leitrim father said the site tends to “breed vile comments.” He also added that he would “challenge anyone to go onto the site and not be on it a short period of time without seeing some horrible, disgusting comments.”

    According to the sites official page , Ask.fm “have created a place for our members to have fun, share information, make friends, and express themselves freely. We want them to do this in a safe environment.” However, what has been under fire in recent times is the approach of the company to the safety and well-being of its users.

    In August 2014 Ask.fm was bought by an American company, the owners of dating site Ask.com. According to head of operations and lead advisor on user safety Annie Mullins, “one of the conditions of buying that company was that the former owners left almost immediately from the day that [we] bought it.”

    With the site under new management, Annie Mullins spoke on RTE’s Prime Time show about her company’s action to fight cyber-bullying and to introduce a completely different approach to user safety.

    According to Ms Mullins, the new company has invested in moderation by hiring experts in internet safety both in the USA and across Europe and are looking to work in partnership with several organisations that are experienced in educating and advising parents on bullying.

    Though the site has received a lot of bad publicity and has gained a difficult reputation, Ms Mullins commented that “the site is growing.” According to Annie Mullins, “anonymity is part of the functionality” of the site and again this feature is outlined on the site’s website as “something to be cherished because it gives young people the encouragement and confidence to ask the questions, have the conversations and find the answers to the challenges of growing up.”

    The site states that it is in partnership with several of the world’s leading internet safety companies including Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), Insafe, and ICT coalition. On the sites safety centre page “ask anonymous questions”, “do share your thoughts with everyone” and “spread Ask.fm across the web” is encouraged, while “don’t say mean things” and “don’t be a bully” is discouraged.

    Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has said that the decision by Ask.fm to locate in Ireland has posed new difficulties and challenges for Ireland in terms of cyber-bullying and that the Minister for Children James Reilly should now do more to protect Ireland’s young from online threats.