St. Mary’s and St. Gerard’s National School aims to ensure that children are safe and feel safe from bullying, harassment and discrimination while using the internet.
This school is committed to teaching children the knowledge and skills to be able to use ICT effectively, safely and responsibly.
Aims of Policy:
- To ensure that pupils, staff and parents understand what cyber bullying is and how it can be avoided
- To ensure that practices and procedures are agreed to prevent incidents of cyber bullying
- To ensure that reported incidents of cyber bullying are dealt with effectively and quickly
Understanding Cyber Bullying:
- Cyber bullying is the use of ICT (usually a mobile phone and or the internet) to abuse another person
- It can take place anywhere and involve many people
- Anybody can be targeted including pupils and school staff
- It can include threats, intimidation, harassment, cyber-stalking, vilification, defamation, exclusion, peer rejection, impersonation, unauthorized publication of private information or images etc.
Procedures to Prevent Cyber Bullying:
- Staff, pupils, parents and the Board of Management are made aware of issues surrounding cyber bullying
- Pupils and parents will be urged to report all incidents of cyber bullying to the school
- Staff will assist in learning about current technologies and identifying areas of potential abuse
- Pupils will learn about cyber bullying through the S.P.H.E. programme, Webwise lesson plans, anti-bullying week activities and other curriculum projects
- All pupils, excluding Infants, will sign an Acceptable Use of ICT contract
- Parents will be provided with information and advice on how to combat cyber bullying through organised school meetings and they will be advised to access information from the website – www.webwise.ie
- Parents will be expected to sign an Acceptable Use of ICT contract and to discuss its meaning with their children
- Pupils, parents and staff will be involved in reviewing and revising this policy and school procedure
- All reports of cyber bullying will be investigated, recorded, stored in the Principal’s office and monitored regularly
- The N.C.T.E. can provide support and assistance in dealing with incidents of cyber bullying and can be contacted by staff and parents
- The Gardaí will be contacted in cases of actual or suspected illegal content
Date: December 3rd, 2014