This article is from page 30 of the 2012-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
CLARE Gardaí have received no reports of cyber-bullying in the county’s schools.
According to Community Liason Officer Sergent Joe Downey, the best approch to the bullying is first through a trusted adult, then the school, the parents of the bully and finally, if the issue cannot be resolved, the Gardaí.
Cyber-bullying is not restricted to social media sites, but includes texting, Twitter and emails.
This type of bullying is particularly harsh as it follows the child or teenager into their own home, and they find it almost impossible to escape.
“The first thing they should do is bring it to the attention of someone they trust,” said Sgt Downey.
From there, the school should be contacted and then the parents of the bully.
If the issue cannot be resolved through the school’s anti-bullying policy, Gardaí can investigate a charge of harrassment under Section 10 of the non-fatal acts.
However, an offence is committed only after unwanted, persistent contact is made after the person has been asked to stop.
“It must be considered persistent and the person must have been asked to stop before it is considered an offense,” said Sgt Downey, as he explained the law.
For example, if someone receives unwanted texts, they must reply, asking the sender not to text them again.
“In relation to schools, we like to see it resolved between the kids, parents and the school,” he said.
He advised those who are targeted on social network pages not to reply and block the access of the bully. He also advised reporting the abuse to the internet provider.
A child should always be encouraged to tell someone about it, he reiterated.
The long-serving Garda said he has to date never investigated a school cyber-bullying complaint.