There is growing concern amongst headteachers and school staff about children and young people posting disturbing comments online about teachers and other school staff. Some of the posts are defamatory and can cause a great deal of distress to the individuals concerned.
We would recommend:
- If your school has been affected by this issue you may want to consider writing to parents and carers inviting them to talk to their children about acting respectfully and responsibly whilst online. A template letter can be found below. At this stage we would suggest you don’t refer directly to this issue as it might unfortunately lead to more children acting inappropriately. Currently we feel the advice for dealing with harmful challenges is the best way forward, whilst reminding children and families of the implications of young people’s actions:
https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/advice-for-schools-on-responding-to-online-challenges-2
Further good advice for parents about online safety issues can be found here:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/online-safety-guidance-for-parents/
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
https://swgfl.org.uk/online-safety/10-online-safety-tips/
- The school can seek advice from POSH (Professionals Online Safety Helpline) on 0344 381 4772 10 am – 4 pm Monday to Friday or Helpline@saferinternet.org.uk