Parents and students using social media to harass teachers

New research conducted on behalf of Ecclesiastical Insurance suggests that parents and pupils are increasingly hiding behind social media platforms to criticise or send abuse to teaching staff. The research reveals almost a third of teachers (29%) have been contacted by parents through a social media channel.

Developing a social media policy or code of conduct should be a high priority and there are on-line resources to help with this. There is free guidance available online for schools, teachers and parents on how to handle cyber-bullying, which includes training and staff development, prevention strategies and ‘a whole school’ approach. This includes:

SWGfL – Offer online safety policy templates, including a social media policy, for schools and are acknowledged as good practice documents.

UK Safer Internet Centre – Offer social media advice for teachers and advice on how teachers can protect their reputation plus a dedicated helpline.