On Thursday 10th November, DCU Anti-Bullying Centre celebrated the FUSE programme at an event hosted in META HQ, Ballsbridge. The event, titled “Our Community, Our Content” was attended by 250 students and their teachers from a cohort of schools all over Ireland, all of whom have completed DCU Anti-Bullying Centre’s FUSE programme. These schools represented a selection of the 362 Post-Primary schools across Ireland participating in FUSE.

FUSE is an anti-bullying and online safety programme for schools. DCU researchers designed the programme and conducted research through the programme that will increase capacity in Irish schools to tackle bullying and cyberbullying. FUSE is an engaged research project aimed at increasing self-efficacy among students, teachers, and parents to recognise, respond, and report bullying and online harm.

On the day, students from a cohort of schools presented their anti-bullying and online safety initiatives which are currently running in their school. Attendees were treated to a fireside chat with Content Creator and Creative Director of Black and Irish, Amanda Adé, facilitated by Foroige representative, Orna O’Brien. Students heard what life was like as a content creator and how to build resilience when navigating the online world.

META’s Jenny O’Mahoney also presented a session on “Building Safe and Empowering Spaces for Youth” and an overview of the tools available to young people on social platforms to keep them safe.

FUSE is now in its fourth year and currently has 362 Post-Primary schools and almost 60,000 students engaged in the programme.

Thanks to our financial supporters META, Rethink Ireland, and the Department of Education.

For more information on FUSE, please visit www.antibullyingcentre.ie/fuse