GAA launches Google linkup to curb bullying and abuse
GAA President Larry McCarthy has welcomed a new partnership with Google as an important step towards eradicating the online abuse that has plagued the association in recent years.
Launched in Croke Park yesterday, the GAA’s anti-bullying and internet safety programme is targeted at the 9-12 years age group and seeks to bring the respect and values learnt by children on the field of play into their computer interactions.
Rather than being an isolated occurrence, the vitriol levelled at Andy McEntee both before and after his recent departure as Meath football manager is part of a worrying trend within the GAA. This is one of two examples – the abuse levelled at some Mayo players in the wake of their All-Ireland SFC final defeat to Tyrone last September being the other – that McCarthy cited when he initially addressed the audience at the launch.
“What you have to do is try and prevent that from happening. You call it out as often as possible, so you can educate people about it. Say that it’s simply not acceptable in the GAA. Bullying is not acceptable anywhere,” McCarthy said.
“Any anti-bullying campaign, particularly one we can do in cooperation with an entity like Google given its worldwide reach, and obviously with the Government, is to be welcomed. Bullying on the field or off the field is just simply not acceptable and it has to be called out.
“This is starting at primary school. 9-12 is the target group. You get people at a young age and you educate them about what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable. Hopefully that will stay with them. That would be the intent.”
Forming part of the Gaelic Games ‘Give Respect – Get Respect’ initiative, this programme will initially incorporate over 100 clubs from across the GAA, Ladies Football and Camogie Associations in Ireland and Britain. McCarthy is hopeful the number of participants within the programme will increase over time and not just be confined to its current territories.
“We have the club network and it’s obvious that we would hope it would grow. I would be happy to deal with the 1,500 clubs on the island of Ireland, but then our own clubs as well around the world. There’s one or two clubs in Britain involved in this pilot, but you would hope to expand it and you would hope it just improves around sport in general.”
Back in 2013 – just under eight years before Bishopstown native McCarthy was elected as their 40th President – the GAA launched a Tackling Bullying programme that they subsequently shared with 15 other sporting organisations. Given the strong foundations that this laid, McCarthy is confident their latest initiative to deal with this problem can produce desired results.
“There has been a lot of work put in over the last seven or eight years in the respect initiative. This is part and parcel of it. We’ll mesh the work of Google with the GAA’s work and hopefully we’ll have a very, very successful programme,” McCarthy added.