Cyberbullying hits students, teachers

Nasty students are using text messages, chat rooms and even YouTube to harass their schoolmates and even their teachers, a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers has found.

Teachers surveyed said that 64 per cent of secondary school students - and 16 per cent of teachers themselves - are bullied using technology. Of bullied teachers, more than half have received a silent call or had video of themselves posted on YouTube.

Texting is the most common method, with 70 per cent of surveyed teachers saying that's the most common cause of cyberbullying, followed by mean messages in a chat room at 60 per cent.

ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said: "Cyberbullying, as with all forms of bullying, is totally unacceptable and no teacher or pupil should have to endure it."

The bullying isn't limited to classrooms, however. John Ross from Hemel Hempstead School, Hertfordshire said in a statement: "Some of this is perpetrated outside school where we have little control. The school systems have a county-based blocking system but pupils who have the expertise can find ways of by-passing these security measures."

Despite the high numbers, one educator pointed out that many cases still go unreported. Tami Buckingham from St Andrews RC School, Surrey said: "Due to the extensive use of mobiles the vast majority of cases go unreported. Many teachers are embarrassed or blissfully (and deliberately) unaware of comments on sites such as ratemyteacher."

Last year, an education minister called on such sites to remove content which represents bullying.

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