Big hearted Fife pupils have thrown their weight behind a Nil by Mouth campaign aimed at helping young people stay safe on the internet.
Pupils from Coaltown of Balgonie Primary School took part in the ‘Pause B4 U Post’ programme which helps children better understand the impact of online bullying and discrimination.
The project sees Nil by Mouth deliver activities to P6/7 classes allowing pupils to discuss their online habits and consider how things they post can be viewed by others. The workshop includes role-play, allowing children to consider the merits of different approaches to being sent online abuse, including things that may be seen as racist, sectarian or discriminatory. The pupils were so inspired by the visit that the following week they arranged a special games night raising nearly £100 to support our education work across Scotland.
Nil by Mouth Director Dave Scott said:
‘The idea behind ‘Pause B4 U Post’ is to create an environment allowing young people to feel able to discuss how social media impacts on their lives and help them feel confident to ask for help if needed or be more aware of the potential consequences of actions. We don’t go into schools to sensationalise issues or to try and scare them off using, and enjoying, social media. Instead, we help them think through how they would approach realistic situations from receiving unwanted messages to dealing with group chat messages which might be discriminatory or encourage bullying.
Coaltown of Balgonie was one of the first schools to sign up for the programme after Covid restrictions started to ease and it was such a great place to visit. The children had a very mature and honest discussion and the fact they felt the message was important enough to hold a fundraiser for our cause makes things even sweeter.‘
Dave Scott joins Ms Mackie and the class to celebrate raising £100 for Nil by Mouth.