Trolling the teachers - online bullying is a real issue for young people, with schools doing their utmost to try and stamp it out, but what happens when it is the teachers who are being bullied?

Bullying is no joke, whatever form it takes, but it seems that parents and pupils alike have been using social media to attack teachers. In fact, over half of 1,188 head teachers who replied to a survey by schools management service The Key said that the behaviour of parents online is a problem. One head teacher pointed out how “negative and inaccurate comments that would never be said face-to face are often posted by parents online.”

However, it is not just the parents that are using social media to bully and intimidate as one 20-something secondary school teacher revealed how she had been harassed by pupils, saying, “It’s constant Facebook requests, Instagram requests and eventually somebody decided to send me a message to say a few boys thought I was sexy and that I was fit.” These comments spilled over into the classroom, leaving her feeling deeply uncomfortable, until senior management stepped in to intervene.

Teachers have been advised to be careful with their social media privacy settings and to avoid accepting requests from current or former pupils as well as parents.

Hiding Behind A Screen

But what is causing this upsurge in abuse and bullying?

It seems that ease with which people can use social media as a tool to complain, harass and even bully has caused an increase, with users posting things that they would not say in person. This type of passive aggressive posting can quickly become intimidating – especially if others join in.

With reports saying that head teachers have been put on anti-depressants as a direct result of this type of online bullying, perhaps it is time for us to step back and think about what we are doing.

Positive Posting

Of course, social media can be used a s appositive force in schools too – allowing them to communicate with parents and pupils. One head teacher, from a school in Hereford commented on the “wave of positivity” that social media can create between a school and the community it serves, adding that blaming social media “is a bit like blaming a pen for a nasty letter.”

While teachers should look to their line managers and other senior staff for support if they experience online bullying, so pupils should also be sure to reach out to teachers, parents, or other trusted adults if they feel they are being bullied online.

Sometimes we don’t see the ramifications of what we post online, but perhaps we should take a moment to think about the impact of our comments before pressing ‘send?’