Legacy of Amy ‘Dolly’ Everett inspires app against cyber-bullying

Amy “Dolly” Everett should have celebrated her 21st birthday on May 1, but after her life was tragically cut short following relentless bullying, her parents turned their attention to May 10 and named it Do it for Dolly Day.

Do it for Dolly Day is a day of grief for Dolly’s parents, Kate and Tick Everett, but it is also a call to action. After Dolly sadly took her own life at the age of 14, the Everetts decided to use their experience to support others and promote awareness through the anti-bullying organisation they founded, Dolly’s Dream.

This year their focus is on empowering kids who have been cyberbullied, by promoting a free cyber safety app called Beacon, developed by Telethon Kids Institute.

Cyber-bullying has become a big problem in Australia.

There was a 40 per cent increase in the number of cyber-bullying reports made to the eSafety Commissioner last year.

Two thirds of these reports concerned children aged 12-15 years old, highlighting how at risk young people have become due to online harassment and abuse.

Ms Everett said there was no single solution to the problem of cyber-bullying.

“To see those statistics of cyber-bullying on the rise is hugely concerning; we’re all going to have to become better digital citizens,” she said.

She said that education was very important. Knowing that there is an eSafety Commissioner in Australia, who has the power to take down bullying posts from different platforms, can be extremely helpful for kids being bullied online.

She said having an easily accessible app as part of Dolly’s Dream suite of support services, in order to help support kids and their parents, had always been a goal for the charity.

“(The app) has been one of our biggest passions, along with that support line, when we started Dolly’s Dream, and the opportunity came to partner with the Beacon app, which was designed by Telethon Kids Institute in Perth,” Ms Everett said.

“Now I’m very happy with where we are and the resources that we have now.”

Based on more than 15 years of cyber safety research and more than 30 years of bullying research by Telethon Kids Institute, the Beacon app has already been downloaded more than 27,500 times since it was launched in 2020.

Once downloaded, families can access articles, videos and alerts on how to deal with cyber-bullying.

Telethon Kids Institute program head of population health, Associate Professor Francis Mitrou said the partnership between Dolly’s Dream and Telethon Kids Institute enabled Beacon to evolve into a more comprehensive and reliable resource in order to help keep kids and families safe.

“With a shared commitment, we will increase our reach into rural, regional and remote communities across Australia, ensuring access to essential cyber safety resources,” Assoc Prof Mitrou said.

Do it for Dolly Day on May 10 is a day dedicated to bringing the community together, spreading kindness, raising funds and going blue (Dolly’s favourite colour) to stop bullying and share the message to be kind and speak – even if your voice shakes, because that happens to everyone and it’s completely OK.

The Beacon app is for iOS and Android devices.

Visit doitfordollyday.org.au

IF THIS STORY HAS AFFECTED YOU, PLEASE LET SOMEONE KNOW
Your family, school and loved ones are often the best place to start if you are feeling sad or if you are being bullied, but sometimes it can be easier talking to someone else. Here are some organisations in Australia where you will find support:

Dolly’s Dream Support Line: 0488 881 033

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

Lifeline: 13 1114

TIACS: 0488 846 988

Mental Health Access Line: 1300 642255

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

13YARN: 13 9276

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

ReachOut: au.reachout.com

POLL

GLOSSARY

• relentless: something that keeps happening and is hard to deal with
• eSafety Commissioner: an independent regulator for online safety

EXTRA READING
National phone ban for schools?
Health warning for kids on phones
Why TikTok could be banned in Australia

QUICK QUIZ
1. What date is Do it For Dolly Day?
2. What is the eSafety Commissioner and how can they help people being cyberbullied?
3. How much of an increase in cyber-bullying reports were there last year?
4. What is the aim of Dolly’s Dream?
5. How can Beacon help kids who are being cyberbullied?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Better digital citizens
Dolly’s Mum says that “we’re all going to have to become better digital citizens” to stop this upwards trend of cyber-bullying.

What have you learnt so far in cyber bullying education sessions that has resonated with you the most?

Do you think the Beacon app will help educate people more on how to stamp out cyber-bullying?

What sort of technology or resources would you like to see available to all kids to help them become better digital citizens so a case like Dolly’s, never happens again?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Brainstorm some ideas of how you could mark ‘Do it for Dolly Day’ in your school or family on May 10. Write a proposal to submit to your school council or principal to do something special to spread kindness on this day.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Summarise the article
A summary can be a really good way to grab the main idea plus some key points in the article as a highlight. Think of the summary like a little advertisement or extract you could use to encourage people to read the article in detail. You want to give them an overview of the article that includes the main idea (being able to tell the audience what the article is about in one sentence), plus a few of the key points of the information.

Remember to re-read your summary to check that it is clear, concise and makes sense to the audience who haven’t read the article yet. You need to make language choices that allow you to explain the information in only a few sentences.