Cyber-bullying of teachers

The teaching unions have been lobbying the government and local education authorities hard on the issue of cyber-bullying, which is a growing problem in UK schools. At the end of 2009, NASUWT worked with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to produce specialist guidance on sexist, sexual and transphobic bullying in schools, including guidance on dealing with bullying of teachers as well as pupils. The last government agreed with the union that incidents of bullying of staff and pupils were to be reported and recorded in schools. However, one of the first acts of the coalition government was to abandon this proposal.

The DSCF’s guidance, Cyber-bullying: Supporting staff, part of its Safe to Learn strategy, defines cyber-bullying as “the use of Information and Communications Technology, particularly mobile phones and the internet, deliberately to upset someone else”. It can take place 24/7, anonymously, in any location.

The extent to which this behaviour is becoming institutionalised can be seen from the popularity of websites such as “Rate My Teacher”, and from the disturbing results of a 2012 survey by teaching union NASUWT in which teachers reported being issued with death threats, accused of crimes including paedophilia and rape, subjected to sexist and racist abuse and having their pictures distributed across the internet.

The survey shows that cyber-bullying has spread to primary schools, and in some cases is even conducted by parents. Forty two per cent of respondents reported having had an insulting comment, allegation of inappropriate behaviour with a pupil, comment on their performance or other comment posted online or on a social networking site. Nearly a third (64%) reported the incident, but many felt inadequately supported, or that the complaint was not taken seriously enough. Nearly half felt that the sanction against the pupil was inadequate, or reported that no action was taken.