A sadly topical look at the problem of online bullying

Date Published: 06-Nov-2012

The first of the Bullyproof series on RTÉ One on Tuesday was all the more topical following the suicide last weekend of a 13 years old girl in Donegal who was a victim of cyber bullying.

It was filmed over the summer but sadly, the advice and practical tips being given in the course of the series by psychologist David Coleman were to be too late for the Donegal teenager.

And though there is anecdotal evidence of online bullying, it is only when you see real people telling their story to camera that the seriousness of it hits home.

Bullying will probably never be fully stopped but this new type of intimidation through social networks makes the current problem an issue that has to be tackled by parents, schools and Gardaí if necessary.

Teenagers are by their nature secretive but internet access now brings the world into their bedroom, which leads to all sorts of new problems, one of which is cyber bullying.

It was shocking to hear on the programme how weak some schools are on their bullying policy. It’s as if they are in the dark ages when surely the Department of Education should be tackling this through training teachers.

Short of not having broadband in your home or stopping your child from using the computer, it is almost impossible to stop teenagers from going on Facebook or from texting, and much of the bullying to the children interviewed for the programme was done online.

I thought the children interviewed were very courageous to come forward and to be so open and part of me worried about repercussions.

But the premise of the programme is not to sensationalise but to highlight a serious problem and to give the victims coping skills, though I believe that in tonight’s programme (RTÉ One, 10.15pm), Coleman will be dealing with the bullies themselves. That should be interesting. You can also catch last week’s episode on the RTÉ website or on channel 119 if you’re a UPC customer.

I adore Coleman’s soft, gentle voice and we got to see him being very effective in one-to-one sessions in this first programme. But of course Coleman won’t always be around to help these families so they need to inform themselves and be more alert.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.