Children on the Aran Islands deserve the same access to services and support as those on the mainland; that’s according to ISPCC Child Participation and Engagement Lead, Charlotte Donnellan, speaking after a visit to Scoil Rónáin on Inis Mór last week.

“Just because you live on an island doesn’t mean you don’t experience or witness bullying and cyberbullying,” said Charlotte, who hails from Tuam.

“It can happen anywhere. Children on Inis Mór don’t have the same access to services on their doorstep. They travel inland to get help, and that’s not fair. Every child has the right to access support and to have their voice heard.”

Charlotte is one of the key organisers behind the Little Voices, Big Ideas project – a national anti-bullying initiative aimed at improving the lives and mental health of children through early intervention and education.

For Charlotte, the project is about giving children the chance to shape the services that affect them.

“Children are experts in their own lives,” she said.

“When you actually ask them what they need, they tell you things that adults might never think of. If we want our programmes to be relevant and effective, we need to listen to them. It’s not about us. It’s about them. Without their voices, this project wouldn’t exist.”

As part of this initiative, she met with four young pupils from Scoil Rónáin, who are part of a panel of 32 children from across Galway helping to co-create an educational module designed to raise awareness of bullying and cyberbullying among primary school students.

The project, co-funded by the European Union, is part of a wider effort to address peer-to-peer violence and build children’s confidence and empathy from an early age.

Through play-based consultations, children share their experiences and ideas about what bullying looks like, in both the classroom and online.

Their insights will directly shape a resource the ISPCC hopes to see introduced as part of the SPHE curriculum for third to sixth-class students nationwide.

“Children on Inis Mór are very aware of online dangers,” said Charlotte.

“They know that friend requests from strangers can be risky, that some adults pretend to be children online, and that voice changers are being used in gaming. They just want to learn how to handle it, how to say no, how to report, and how to stay safe.”

Charlotte said she would like to see the Little Voices, Big Ideas module translated into Irish so that it can be delivered to schools in island and Gaeltacht communities.

“They go to school through Irish, it’s their natural way of speaking,” she added.

“We should make sure the programme is accessible to them too.”

The pupils at Scoil Rónáin were clear that knowledge is power, that understanding red flags, learning how to report issues, and developing confidence in setting boundaries are all key to prevention.

“Children have told us that if they can identify these things early, they’re less likely to get caught up in cyberbullying, and they’ll know what to do if it happens,” she said.

“It’s powerful to hear children say that if we educate them, this is less likely to become a problem. They also said that building self-esteem and confidence is key. Research supports this. Children with stronger self-worth are less likely to be bullied.

“We focus on children between the ages of eight and twelve, because that aligns with the ISPCC’s work on early intervention and prevention. We know that if we include children in these conversations from a younger age, we’re less likely to see problems arise when they’re teenagers.

“By then, they’ll already have the tools and understanding. It’s important not to wait until problems occur, but to start early.”

One of the most revealing insights from the consultations was how children today process information differently because of constant exposure to short online videos.

“They explained how their attention spans aren’t the same as before,” Charlotte said.

“They are used to quick, 30-second clips. They want learning that’s faster, more engaging, and interactive. They don’t want adults standing at the top of the classroom with a PowerPoint. They want to take part.”

The ISPCC’s new module will reflect this, with sessions designed for groups of around eight to ten and delivered over two days, to keep children engaged without overwhelming them.

Charlotte said the Inis Mór students also placed huge emphasis on empathy and the ability to understand what life is like for others.

“They want to be taught empathy,” she said.

“They want other children to understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes. Maybe you’re being picked on because you live in an IPAS centre, or because you’re different in some way. They want us to help children understand those feelings.

“The most important part of all this is that children’s voices are being heard, no matter where they live. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to be heard. That’s what this project is all about: inclusivity and empowerment.

“The purpose of our visit to Inis Mór was for the children to review the draft module and suggest changes. I’ll now make those amendments before we roll out the final version. Starting in January, we’ll deliver the module to 250 children across County Galway, aged eight to twelve,” she concluded.

Pictured: ISPCC Child Participation and Engagement Lead, Charlotte Donnellan, on a visit to Scoil Rónáin on Inis Mór as part of the Little Voices, Big Ideas project aimed at improving the lives and mental health of children through early intervention and education.

Report funded by the Local Democracy Scheme