Garda Barbara Kelly spoke to our 5th and 6th classes today in relation to staying safe online and issues relating to online bullying.

The key messages from the talk were 

Remember It’s not about you.  They are the ones that have the problem. Don’t believe what they say to
you, and don’t blame yourself

If you are being bullied you should

Tell someone like a friend, your parent(s), a teacher or someone in your family.

You can stay safe online by

Not talking to strangers- Same rule as in real life. Do not accept anyone as a friend who you don’t know.

Make profiles private- do not allow the public to have access to your account.

Always set passwords and keep them secret

Always be polite

Tell your parents/guardians when you are online

Allow your parents/guardians to monitor your online activity 

We ask parents to be mindful of the following points in relation to online activity.
➔ Time keeping needs to be clear in advance – stick to it and do not negotiate
➔ It’s important that if there is more than one parent/guardian, everyone is on
the same page when it comes to technology use (i.e. if I ask Mam or Dad or
Granny, the answer will be the same)
➔ Parenting shouldn’t be a democracy – don’t be afraid to say no
➔ Access to technology isn’t an entitlement
➔ Parents need to set really clear expectations about where younger children
(primary school age) can be online in the house – it should only be allowed in
public areas i.e. the kitchen/living room and not the bedroom. They will earn
independence and trust but generally not until their early teens.
➔ Stranger danger is as much, if not more of a concern in the online world
➔ You (as parent) expect that if they see something inappropriate online, they
come and tell you. Thank them and reassure your child that they did the right
thing to tell you.