Page 23





NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE





A catalogue of abuse



NASUWT members responding to the survey shared their horrifying experiences of cyberbullying



I had my photo taken and it was distributed resulting in abuse and harassment from pupils.”



“A pupil said he was going to cut my f***ing throat when he saw me, but no action was taken by the school against him.”



“An allegation was made that my relationship with my partner started while she was still together with her husband. This caused a great deal of upset – particularly as my partner’s children were upset by what people told them they’d read.”



“Claims were made that I was unable to do my job and that I should be sacked. Lies were posted about me that I had said inappropriate things to pupils, had insulted pupils and that I had sexually absurd behaviours. I was generally defamed and insulted and rumours were spread about me throughout the school.



“A pupil used Facebook to post that I was a pathetic woman and that I should have my mole-covered face smashed in and that they would show me what fear is. The pupil was disciplined, but I felt unsupported as it did not match the seriousness of the misdemeanour.”



“Students set up a Facebook ‘hate page’ and made comments that they wanted to ‘kill’ me. This sort of abuse is growing in prevalence and I am sure we have only scratched the surface.”



“A picture was taken of me, posted online and lots of homophobic comments made including ‘gay b*****d’. (I am gay). The pupil was disciplined and I felt supported, but later in the year the pupil made an accusation against me when I tried to confiscate sweets from her during a lesson.”



“As a result I went off sick diagnosed with depression. The headteacher said I faced investigation and disciplinary procedure and said I’d had too many days off sick. I resigned and the bullying was never acknowledged.”



“A pupil falsely claimed on Facebook that I’d told him to die and f*** off. No action was taken against the pupil and it was I who was investigated!”



“A student created an online hate group against me and students were invited to join with comments saying she should f*** off back to her own country. The student was disciplined but I was made to feel like I was over-reacting and I then had to carry on teaching him.”



“I have worked incredibly hard for ten years. I have an impeccable record and was recorded as having the best valueadded scores in my school, but I am now poorly as a result of this and having to go to an employment tribunal. My mum has had to sell her house to stop me from going bankrupt.”





Tips to stay safe online



Social networking sites can have many benefits. However, the open nature of the internet means that teachers can be left particularly vulnerable to harassment and abuse if they fail to follow a few simple precautions.



If you use Facebook or Twitter, make sure your privacy settings are adjusted correctly to prevent any pupils or parents viewing your accounts. The NASUWT recommends that you make your account viewable to friends only.

Do not under any circumstances accept friend requests from pupils or parents.

Ensure you log out of your accounts when you have finished using them, particularly on shared computers. Your account can be hijacked by others if you remain logged in – even if you quit your browser and switch the computer off.

Be aware that potential employers may scour websites looking for information on job candidates. Take care to remove any online content about yourself you would not want them to see.

Remember that family and friends can also post information and photos of you in their profiles so think about whether any of this could be compromising. On Facebook you can ‘untag’ yourself from a photo.

Act in accordance with your employer’s IT policy and any specific guidance on social networking. If your school encourages the positive use of social networking sites as part of the learning process they should provide clear guidance on what is deemed acceptable contact with pupils. Be aware that your school may monitor your IT usage and any activity deemed to be inappropriate may lead to disciplinary action.

Do not post your address or date of birth online. Criminals can use such information to commit identity fraud.





Visit www.nasuwt.org.uk/SocialMedia