Keeping kids safe from online bullies

Keeping kids safe from online bullies

18 June 2014

A SAINTFIELD mum of two and new author is hoping to raise awareness of cyber bullying. Kerry-Ann Ferreira has created Protecting Our Children in Cyberspace to coincide with this Friday’s Stop Cyberbullying Day.

She was prompted to self-publish her first book after hearing about the experiences of a relative’s daughter.

“The young girl was subjected to cyberbullying when a playground argument continued online through facebook messages, texts and Ask.fm,” said Kerry-Ann. “It was extremely concerning for her parents but it was mild in the context of the levels of the cyberbullying that I now know of through my research.

“My relatives were able to address the problem and luckily it had no lasting effect on my niece, but this incident really opened my eyes to the potential for serious cyberbullying that now exists in our society. I felt so strongly about it, and the need to protect my children, that this experience really did spur on my quest to research the subject thoroughly and, ultimately, write the book.”

In addition to this firsthand account, Kerry-Ann noticed how her children’s knowledge of new technologies and their applications was surpassing her own, and some preliminary research illustrated how widespread cyberbullying is in today’s society.

Kerry-Ann quickly realised that there were few practical guides available on how to set safety settings on devices and set about creating a book that would be relevant to all parents of children aged 11 and under.

“There’s huge benefits to the internet in how we communicate, for studies and in work, therefore removing my children from the digital world was not practical nor in their best interests,” she said. “However, I was determined to keep my children safe online and a key component of this was upscaling my own knowledge of their technologies, and quickly.”

“From chat rooms, to sharing images, to gaming consoles, it seems that the world can connect with our children unless we educate them on fact and fiction, and put in place safety settings to mitigate the chances of our children being exposed to unsuitable content.”

Quoting statistics from the PSNI, Kerry-Ann said there were 429 recorded offences committed in full or in part through a computer or computer-enabled device in a seven month period, with almost 20 per cent of these offences on minors.

From ‘privacy settings’ to ‘rules of engagement’, Protecting Our Children in Cyberspace outlines practical steps for parents on their children’s’ online behaviour and how to help create a safe online environment for young children. The book is available from Amazon Kindle for £2.99.

To support Stop Cyberbullying Day, Kerry-Ann, who is on the board of governors at Millennium Integrated Primary School in Saintfield, has also pledged to donate 10 per cent of profits from all books downloaded or sold in hardcopy to the cyberbullying charity, The Cybersmile Foundation.

Ahead of Stop Cyberbullying Day on June 20, Cybersmile’s founder, Scott Freeman, said: “The Cybersmile Foundation was founded through our own experience as parents of cyberbullied children and it’s great to see Kerry-Ann also taking a proactive stance. 

“While filters and technology are useful tools, ultimately the best protection we can give our children is an education on how to protect themselves as they grow into teens and beyond.

“Stop Cyberbullying Day aims to promote awareness of cyberbullying in our daily lives and we hope that it will be taken on by parents as an opportunity to talk to their kids about online safety and appropriate behaviours.”

Scott added: “Kerry-Ann’s approach to her children’s online safety is ultimately helping others through the resource of Protecting Our Children in Cyberspace. We applaud Kerry-Ann for dedicating her time to research the subject thoroughly as a means to help other parents. We’re very grateful that 10 per cent of all profits will go to Cybersmile.”