Cyber bullying is becoming more prominent in Fermanagh
THE distraught mother of a 16-year-old school-girl has spoken of her fear and heartbreak for her daughter who has been targeted by online bullies for the past two years.
The local schoolgirl has been subjected to a barrage of derogatory abuse by school peers and internet trolls on social networking sites and instant messenger on her mobile.
The Fermanagh mother, who not does want to be identified because she is afraid for her daughter’s safety, said that threatening comments appeared on social site Facebook which singled out the young teen.
Appealing to teachers and parents, the concerned mum has called for rigorous checks to be made on children and teenager’s social networking pages to help stamp out online bullying.
The mum said: “Online bullying is happening on my own doorstep and it’s happening in the school and all over the county.
“There’s a group of them going round targeting different people on Facebook and it’s not on. My daughter doesn’t even have Facebook but they name her and post degrading insults about her.
“Everything they say is lies and she is heart-broken over what is being said about her and all her self-confidence has gone and she’s trying to get through her GCSE year.
“It’s getting to stage where I have to watch my own child 24/7 because I’m worried about what she will do as it’s effecting her that badly.
“I will have to send her to a counsellor as she spends a lot of her time locked up in her room sick with worry about what people are saying about her on these sites.”
This week it has been reported that the number of ‘cyber crimes’ in Northern Ireland is 30 times higher than just two years ago.
Offences and inappropriate language on social sites went from 71 during 2010 to 2,100 last year.
The Fermanagh mum believes these numbers will only continue to rocket if parents and schools fail to actively tackle the growing issue.
“Facebook should be for 21-year-olds and over. These young girls and boys don’t know what they are doing and how it impacts on the lives of victims,” the mum continued.
“The school knows about it but their answer is what they do outside school is of no concern to them but they need to step-up and deal with this issue. Ban Facebook from schools if they have to.
“I want these bullies to realise what they are doing is wrong. They are wrecking other teenager’s lives and they have to stop it but before it’s too late and it goes too far.”
Over the last few weeks police have been working alongside community safety partnerships to help raise awareness of cyber-bullying and a new play is being taken into schools across Northern Ireland.
The performance will be followed by a conference on exploitation and trafficking.
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