Cyberbullying: An issue for school staff Jennifer Moses National Official Equality and Training

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Cyberbullying An issue for school
staff?Jennifer MosesNational Official
Equality and Training
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Defining the problem

• A tool of the bully
• Affects pupils and school staff alike
• Abuse of ICT
• Impact on teaching and learning
• Vehicle for prejudice-related bullying,
  harassment and false allegations

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NASUWT Campaign and action against cyberbullying

• Online survey of members
• Letter and dossier of cases to Jim Knight 2007
• Anti Bullying Alliance National advisory
  committee
• Work with Young Anti Bullying Alliance

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• DCSF Cyberbullying Taskforce
• Contributor to DCSF Safe to Learn guidance
• High profile Stop Cyberbullying campaign
  posters, wristbands
• Campaigning for greater protections in law.

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Extent of the problem NASUWT cases

• I was threatened by a number of pupils on Bebo.
  The Senior Management team did nothing about
  this. Two months later I was physically
  assaulted in class
• Male Secondary school teacher

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• a pupil took my photo and added a spliff to it.
  He showed it in class. I took the phone to the
  Head who asked if I would agree to pass it to
  police
• Female secondary teacher

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• Student sent an email to the address I have set
  up for parents and students saying very sexually
  explicit things he wanted to do to me and me to
  him. I was devastated and did not want to return
  the next day to school.
• Female secondary teacher

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• Phone pictures were taken of my sweaty back and
  posted on RatemyTeacher. I am menopausal.
  Ratemyteacher has been used to discuss me a whole
  year after I had left and also used my first
  name.
• Female Secondary school teacher

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Prejudice-related bullying

• Abusive behaviour linked to gender, gender
  identify, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, age,
  religion or belief, body image/size
• Not just a problem for schools
• 67 of teachers experienced prejudice related
  bullying at work 52 committed by pupils

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Should school staff suffer in silence?

• Rights and protections from harassment,
  discrimination and employers duty of care
• Potential for false allegations
• Costs on schools in terms of workload, high staff
  turnover and sickness
• Impact on ethos and culture of the school
  community.

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What schools can do

• Robust policies and practice whole school
  community approach
• Training for all staff and governors
• Safe and secure equipment and ICT systems
• Advice to staff on Personal protections

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Whats in your school behaviour policy?

• Whole school approach involvement of unions,
  parents, all staff, pupils
• What does it say about cyberbullying?
• Acceptable use policies eg Use of mobile
  phones
• Specific reference to prejudice-related bullying

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Whats in your school behaviour policy?

• Reporting and recording mechanisms
• Monitoring incidents of bullying
• Process for policy review and development
• How is the policy communicated to parents, staff,
  pupils and governors?

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Further reading

• DCSF Safe to Learn Cyberbullying guidance
• DCSF Cyberbullying supporting school staff
• NASUWT Cyberbullying and Prejudice-related
  bullying guidance
• NASUWT Stop Cyberbullying campaign materials

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• NASUWT Website
• www.nasuwt.org.uk