The Pat Kenny Show What can we do to protect our children from bullying?
Nov 11, 2025
Rena Maycock, Founder and CEO of Chirp, dives deep into the alarming rise of cyberbullying and its profound impacts on children today. She reveals the darker side of online interactions, including the rise of deepfakes and harmful behaviors that parents should watch for. Rena introduces Chirp, an innovative software designed to detect and block cyberbullying, grooming, and self-harm content. With its focus on child safety without compromising privacy, Chirp aims to intervene early to protect vulnerable youth from the risks associated with the digital world.
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Watch For Behavioural Warning Signs
- Watch for withdrawal, loss of interest in school, reduced online use, and changes in eating or sleeping as signs of cyberbullying.
- Take any mention of self-harm seriously and intervene promptly, says Rena Maycock.
Online And Offline Bullying Are Linked
- Online and offline bullying are closely linked; perpetrators and victims often overlap between contexts.
- Anonymity online lowers risk for bullies and increases harm for victims, making evidence collection different.
Go Deeper Than Standard Parental Controls
- Parental-control apps can't access harmful user-generated content because they sit at the same permissions layer as social apps.
- To detect cyberbullying and grooming you must go deeper into the device stack, at or below the kernel level.