NASUWT has published the results of a survey on this topic

Apr 23, 2014 07:44 GMT  ·  By

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon that affects not only youths, but adults as well. According to a new study by NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the United Kingdom, 21% of teachers have reported being cyberbullied.

Teachers say both pupils and their parents have posted comments about them on social media websites. 64% of the adverse comments were posted by pupils (mostly from secondary school), 27% by parents, and 9% by both.

The comments, which often involve abusive and offensive language, reference teachers’ competence, appearance and even sexuality. Of the teachers interviewed by NASUWT, 47% reported receiving insulting comments from students, while 50% said the comments from students were about their performance.

26% of the respondents said photos or videos taken without their permission were posted on social media websites.

As far as parents are concerned, 57% of teachers have received insulting comments. 63% reported getting complaints about their teaching performance.

Cyberbullying among youths often goes unreported. This appears to be the case with teachers as well. 58% of those who have had adverse comments posted about them haven’t reported the incident to the police or their employer.

21% believe they would not be taken seriously, and 64% believe nothing could be done. Almost one in ten respondents said they were too embarrassed, but 6% noted that the situation wasn’t dealt with when they previously reported such incidents.

In around half of the cases where the incidents had been reported to the employer, no action was taken against the students or parents. In over three quarters of cases in which the abuse was reported to the police, no action was taken.

“Technology has transformed the working and social lives of many teachers and enhanced the learning experiences of pupils. However, it is clear that steps need to be taken to protect teachers from the abuse of social media by pupils and parents,” noted Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT.

“Teachers are often devastated by the vile nature of the abuse they are suffering. Teachers are often traumatised by the attacks made on them through social media. Some have lost their confidence to teach once they see foul and personal remarks made by pupils in their classes and have left the profession,” Keates added.

“Schools need policies which prevent abuse and identify sanctions which will be taken against parents and pupils who abuse staff in this way. Schools should also be supporting staff in securing the removal of the offensive material from social media sites and encouraging the staff concerned to go to the police.”