Bullying ‘an issue of behaviour, not tech’

Allowing those under the age of 15 to have unfettered access to the internet is akin to giving them the keys to a car and then wondering why they have crashed, a leading cyberbullying expert has said.

Forensic psychologist Dr Maureen Griffin — who runs courses for children, parents, and teachers based on online behaviour — described as “desperately sad” the weekend suicide of 13-year-old Erin Gallagher, despite the huge outcry following Ciara Pugsley’s death a month ago.

Both deaths have been attributed to bullying on the ask.fm website where comments about individuals can be posted anonymously.