Vodafone Ireland Launches Digital Parenting Portal at World Anti-Bullying Forum in Dublin
18 June 2019
The portal will be a destination for parents to learn how to keep their children safe in our increasingly digital world
75% of Irish parents claim they do not intervene in their child’s online activity due to fear, disruption of child’s privacy, lack of confidence with technology and an uncertainty in how to tackle problems
Vodafone Ireland will today launch a new Digital Parenting Portal at the World Anti-Bullying Forum 2019*, which is taking place this year in Dublin City University. The portal has been developed to provide parents, guardians and carers with information and advice on how best to engage in productive conversations around online safety with their children.
According to recent research**nearly half(46%) of Irish parents look to their friends, family and other parents for advice on keeping their children safe online. However, 35%of the nation’s parents would rather use online resources to educate and better equip themselves to positively address their children’s digital lifestyles. Packed with free resources, articles and practical tools, Vodafone’s Digital Parenting Portal will help parents to build confidence and resilience in young people, ensuring that the next generation are fully equipped for the digital world both now, and in the future.
It is clear Irish parents require increased support in this regard with 75% claiming they do not intervene in their child’s online activity due to fear, disruption of child’s privacy, lack of confidence with technology and an uncertainty in how to tackle problems. In fact, 85%stated that an increase in services, websites, talks and events for parents would play a key support role in them keeping their children safe online. 45%of parents surveyed are not happy with their child’s online usage with 17%confirming that their child had a negative experience online and a further 9%admitting they were uncertain as to whether their child had a negative experience or not.
To mark the launch, Vodafone Ireland will host a panel at today’s World Anti-Bullying Forum called ‘Connecting for Good’ that aims to spark conversation amongst parents, researchers and young people around what healthy online behaviour looks like. The discussion panel is comprised of industry experts and thought leaders including Chief Executive of Childline, John Church; Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Geoffrey Shannon; Independent Research expert, Karen Hand; Researcher at ABC DCU’s Dr. Helena Murphy, Webwise Ambassador, Eiman Elsir; and Liam O’Brien, Vodafone Ireland’s Strategy Director and member of the National Advisory Council for Online Safety,
Commenting on the launch of the Digital Parenting Portal, Vodafone Ireland’s Liam O’Brien said: “I amvery pleased to announce the launch of Vodafone Ireland’s Digital Parenting Portal, which aims to help create a safer, more progressive online world for young people in our society. Education and conversation are key to addressing this challenge and it is therefore fitting that we are formally launching the portal at Vodafone’s ‘Connecting for Good’ panel talk at the 2019 World Anti-Bullying Forum.
Our aim is to open up the conversation around online safety in Ireland, ensuring that parents and young people are fully equipped with the knowledge and confidence to navigate our increasingly digital society.”
Over the past 20 years, Vodafone has been a leading force in online child protection. At a European level, Vodafone have played a key role in helping to shape the guiding principles of the ICT Coalition for Children Online, while also being a signatory to the European Commission’s CEO Coalition to make the Internet a Better Place for Kids.
The World Anti-Bullying Forum 2019 is the largest ever gathering of teachers, parents, policy-makers, businesses and academics coming together to discuss the issue of bullying, cyberbullying and online safety. The schedule for the event this year has been developed to encourage and promote dialogue that deepens our understanding of bullying and how together we can increase the impact of our efforts to combat bullying, in all its forms. Across the 3-day event, a host of disciplines, approaches and professions have come together with the aim of furthering society’s understanding of bullying and take a step forward towards its eradication in the near future.
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*Organised by the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre at DCU, in partnership with FRIENDS, International Bullying Prevention Association and UNESCO, the World Anti-Bullying Forum 2019 takes place from 4th– 6thJune at DCU, Dublin. https://wabf2019.com/
** Online survey conducted by the National Anti-bullying Research and Resource Centre, DCU on behalf of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation in May 2019. The study was an Online Safety survey of 520 parents of children aged between 6 and 16 years
Vodafone Group is one of the world’s leading telecoms and technology service providers. We have extensive experience in connectivity, convergence and the Internet of Things, as well as championing mobile financial services and digital transformation in emerging markets.
Vodafone Group has mobile operations in 25 countries, partners with mobile networks in 41 more, and fixed broadband operations in 19 markets. As of 31 March 2019, Vodafone Group had approximately 650 million mobile customers, 19 million fixed broadband customers and 14 million TV customers, including all of the customers in Vodafone’s joint ventures and associates. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.
