Urgent action on cyberbullying is vital

The cyberbullying forum held in Limerick yesterday hasn’t come a moment too soon.

The event, hosted by MEP Sean Kelly and attended by social media experts, was held to raise awareness and inspire action to prevent online bullying.

Cyberbullying is a problem of epidemic proportions affecting mostly young people. More than 1,700 young Europeans are at risk of death by suicide this year due to bullying, according to research by the charity, Beat Bullying UK.

Many tragic deaths of young people have already been linked to cyberbullying in Ireland. Parents of those being bullied often don’t understand how social media works and may even be totally unaware that their children are being subjected to online horrors.

Mr Kelly’s suggestion of an EU Anti-Bullying Day to raise awareness of the issue is a good one and should be taken seriously.