Parents Advised to Inform Children About Catfishing Dangers

The Department of Education (DE) has advised parents to inform their children about the risks associated with catfishing. This caution follows the conviction of Alexander McCartney, who received a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years in prison for numerous child sex offences, including the extreme online sexual abuse of children and the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl. In a letter sent to parents, the department stated that the case “had highlighted the potential dangers of catfishing.” The letter defined catfishing as occurring “when someone creates a fake online profile to trick people into forming relationships with them.” It also mentioned, “You may be aware of a recent news story about an individual in Northern Ireland who was involved in a large-scale catfishing case with devastating consequences,” and emphasized, “We want to ensure that you have the information and tools to keep your child safer online.” Students at Glengormley Integrated College in County Antrim informed BBC News NI that catfishing is a phenomenon they must be vigilant about online. Fifteen-year-old Ruby commented, “I have to think about that a lot because it’s so easy to pretend to be someone you’re not.” She further stated, “It does happen now a lot and it’s so easy it could happen to people, and you hear it on the news a lot so you do have to look out for it at my age.” Ruby also warned, “You can get groomed or you’d send photos or money,” adding, “It can lead to some terrible things which we’ve heard about so you do need to keep an eye on it and tell people if it’s happened to you and look out for it.” Eighteen-year-old Jessica reported being “constantly” aware of the issue. She explained to BBC News NI, “I come from an an all-girls family so every single one of us have experienced some aspects of it, so we’re very aware of it now.” Jessica concluded, “But honestly I think everybody needs to be aware of it because of the amount it happens. It is a bit crazy now.” The Department’s letter to parents additionally recommended that both parents and pupils utilize the Safer Schools NI app, which offers extensive information on maintaining online safety. It also specifically cautioned parents to be mindful of catfishing. Sixteen-year-old Jeriel stated he was comfortable with his parents discussing his online activities. He remarked, “I’m thankful for my parents, they do.” Jeriel recounted, “When I was young I used to play this game called Roblox where you could chat to other children or people that say they’re children.” He continued, “You could just chat to other people online and my parents saw me playing this and they sat down with me and had a talk about the dangers online.” He added, “Someone else could say they’re nine years old, but in reality be 30 years old.” Roblox recently implemented new safety features for users under the age of 13, introduced after facing criticism regarding its protection of younger individuals. Glengormley Integrated College enrolls approximately 1,000 pupils. The school invites external organizations, such as Thrive and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), to conduct online safety classes. Additionally, the college has trained certain senior pupils to serve as peer mentors, offering advice to younger students on online risks. Vice-principal Natalie Clarke commented, “It’s advice coming from a young person to another young person.” Ms Clarke further stated, “They’re savvy, they use their phones 24/7 and they’re able to give really positive advice to our young people.” She concluded, “There’s a trust, a relationship there with our pupils and they’re just going to get advice.” Nevertheless, the school recently implemented a policy that forbids the use of mobile phones on school premises. This decision followed new guidance issued by the Department of Education (DE), which recommended that schools restrict pupils’ mobile phone usage throughout the school day.