Denbighshire County Council has been working with local schools to make sure our children are aware of how to stay safe on-line.
Dr Michael Duke and Dr Melanie Ackers, from Denbighshire’s Educational Psychology Service, have been providing training and awareness-raising workshops on Internet safety and the use of social networking sites. School staff, parents and children have benefited from this training.
Dr Duke says, “We have also presented to groups such as paediatricians, foster carers and social services staff and we provide practical advice for the adults who work with children. Our theme is about how to use the technology but be aware of potential dangers.
“Parents’ sessions are presented both during the day and also in the evening to give parents a chance to attend. The sessions are very popular and in demand. Melanie has recently completed her PhD and ‘Cyber-Bullying’ was the topic of her thesis so the work we do is well informed and up to date.
“We consider that the psychology of bullying has now entered the digital era and we need to empower our children and young people to respond appropriately.”
The training is available to all schools in Denbighshire. They have worked with Dinas Bran, Denbigh High, Ysgol Glan Clwyd and Rhyl High and a number of primary schools.
