e-Safety in Schools

The report provides an analysis of the responses to questions from a bespoke NFER online teacher survey, using NFER's Teacher Voice Panel, for the DfE's Vital Programme (delivered by the Open University).

The survey data shows that the majority of teachers feel that they can deal with most e-Safety issues and can support their pupils to do so. Teachers also acknowledged that technology is useful to their pupils, for learning, communication and socialisation. However, the findings also showed that technology is creating challenges for teachers in relation to issues around e-Safety and cyberbullying as well as managing pupils' usage of particular technologies, such as smartphones and social networking sites.

The survey found that:

• 87% of  teachers said that their school has an e-safety policy, but only seven in ten (72%) indicated that it is reviewed regularly (this figure was less in Secondary schools)
• 77% of primary teachers and half (54%) of secondary teachers felt that staff had received adequate e-safety training.
• 87% of teachers feel pupils are e-safe at school, but only 58% think their pupils have the knowledge and skills to stay e-safe at home
• 59% of teachers said that they had a social networking profile themselves, and less than 1% had experienced pupils leaving inappropriate comments on their profile.
• 74% of teachers think that the prevalence of smart phones among their pupils is making it easier for them to access inappropriate material at school, with nine out of 10 secondary school teachers finding this difficult to manage
• Cyberbullying continues to be a problem, with 91% of secondary teachers and 52% of primary teachers saying pupils at their school have experienced cyberbullying, and that most of it is perpetrated via social networking sites.

These figures highlight some concerns with e-Safety practice in Secondary schools, especially around policies and staff training. This may be due to the size of the school, however it is important that all schools view e-Safety as part of their essential safeguarding responsibilities and equip all members of staff to manage e-Safety concerns accordingly.  

The Kent e-Safety Strategy Group are pleased to announce that the Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 is being published to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2012 as part of "Connecting Generations" and exploring the digital world together safely.

e-Safety relates to the safe use of the Internet, mobile phones and other electronic communications technologies and is an essential part of the wider safeguarding agenda. Schools and other settings must decide on the right balance between controlling access to the internet and technology, setting rules and boundaries and education around safe and responsible use for both pupils and staff. Schools and settings must ensure that appropriate action has been taken to help protect staff, pupils and the wider community.

The updated Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 builds upon the foundations laid by the "Staff Code of Conduct" (2008) and is provided as a framework to support schools and other settings when writing and updating their Acceptable Use Policies which are an important part of every schools role in safeguarding both pupils and staff.

The Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 contains a "guidance for use" section for Head Teachers, Governing Bodies and Senior Leadership Teams to help them consider the wider implications (including legislation and recommended best practise) as well as possible actions required to support and develop a consistent and appropriate AUP to reflect the schools e-Safety approach. The AUP template provides schools and settings with a range of statements and could be used and adapted by Senior Leadership Teams to develop an AUP appropriate to the schools systems, needs and requirements.

The ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 has been produced by the Kent e-Safety Strategy Group with input from schools, child protection officers, Teaching Unions, School Personnel, Kent County Council Legal Services, multi-agency children's workforce professionals and Kent Police to help schools and other settings write their own staff AUP.

Kent schools and settings can consult with the e-Safety Officer to discuss policies and procedures in relation to schools e-Safety responsibilities.

The Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 is available electronically as both a PDF and word document, along with other e-Safety Material, at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?esafety
 

Beatbullying today publishes Virtual Violence II: Progress and Challenges in the Fight against Cyberbullying - an in-depth study of the state of cyberbullying amongst children, young people and teachers in the UK.

The report is commissioned by Nominet Trust and in association with the NAHT. It will be unveiled in a hard-hitting Panorama documentary airing on the BBC tonight (6th February) and reveals that cyberbullying, as a weapon of choice amongst the nation's youth, is showing no signs of dissipating, with 350,222 children – or 1 in 13 – experiencing persistent and intentional cyberbullying, with just under a quarter (23%) reporting that the bullying lasted for a year or more, and two in five (40%) said that it lasted for months or weeks. These findings closely mirror Beatbullying's first Virtual Violence study published in 2009.

Looking at the long-term effects of cyberbullying, Virtual Violence II reveals the detrimental impact this kind of abuse can have on a young person's wellbeing, with:

• 20% of children and young people indicating that fear of cyberbullies made them reluctant to go to school
• One in five (19%) reporting they experienced reduced confidence and self-esteem
• 14% living in fear for their safety
• 5% resorting to self-harm and 3% reporting an attempt of suicide as a direct result of cyberbullying.

"Through this bullying which was not just on the internet, I tried to commit suicide, ended up going to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and stopped going to school. The only reason it has improved is because I left school".
(Girl, 16)

The rise of hand-held internet and mobile technologies in classrooms and the widespread use of social networking and rating platforms such as RateMyTeachers.com have meant that teachers are becoming as common a victim of cyberbullying as children and young people.

Virtual Violence II, commissioned by Nominet Trust and compiled in association with the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), uncovers the increasing vulnerability of teachers, with:

• 1 in 10 teachers stating they've experienced harassment through a technological medium and 48% witnessing or hearing about it happening to their colleagues
• 15% feeling afraid for their safety or that of their family
• 3% contemplating leaving the profession and 3% resigning altogether.

The report also highlights the financial strain cyberbullying places upon the education system with:

• Teachers spending an average of six hours a week dealing with cases of cyberbullying
• And an estimated £18 million of the education budget being spent dealing with cases of cyberbullying per annum.

The perpetrators do this in and out of school time but it is invariably brought into school and school staff have to spend time dealing with it. The technology moves on and changes so quickly, it is difficult for non technical people to keep up with".
(Secondary School Teacher in Derbyshire)

The report also names and shames the worst offending social networking sites where cyberbullying has been found to be most prevalent. Over half (52%) of young people identified Facebook as the place where they'd personally experienced cyberbullying. Facebook and MSN were also cited as the most common platforms on which children witness bullying happening to others (47% and 20% respectively), with 45% stating they felt that websites such as Facebook and MSN did not do enough to protect them from virtual violence.

"People think that they can say whatever they want to behind a computer screen... It needs to be reported much more than it is as it really affects young people; it has definitely shaped who I am today"
(Girl, 17)

Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive of Beatbullying, said:

"Cyberbullying continues to be a dangerous problem for a significant number of young people and we must not ignore its complex and often devastating effects. We as a society need to take responsibility for both preventing such harmful and anti-social behaviour, and dealing effectively with incidents of virtual violence when they occur. An integrated approach where we see Government, schools, parents, Internet Service Providers and charities like Beatbullying all working together to keep our most vulnerable safe. Today Beatbullying is calling for Internet Service Providers, social networking sites and mobile phone networks to support and invest in services such as Beatbullying's Cybermentors programme, that has the capacity to successfully intervene and offer legitimate advice, support and guidance to children and young people.

Emphasis also needs to be placed on the safety and well being of our teachers, their job is to educate and not spend endless hours a week dealing with cyber bullying.

"It is costing society £18 million to deal with this endemic, this is wrong; this money needs to be reinvested in early intervention and prevention work, to help protect our most vulnerable. CyberMentors is dealing with cyberbullying on the front line, but working together in partnership with service providers; we can create a culture in which any form of bullying, on or off-line, is seen as unacceptable. This is how we will make a real difference to young people's lives."

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, added:

"The benefits of new communications technologies in education are hard to overstate but we know that when they are abused, life can be made a misery for pupils and teachers alike. We also know that victims of bullying whether on or off-line have been driven to suicide by such misery. This report brings home the necessity of taking steps to deal with pernicious virtual violence, not only to protect those who could and should be taking advantage of all the positive aspects of these exciting technologies but to send a clear message to those who might believe otherwise, that abuse conducted online is still abuse and is not immune from consequences. We welcome this report for highlighting these issues and are proud to support Beatbullying in its attempts to provide a common sense response to cyber violence."

Annika Small, CEO of Nominet Trust, added:

"This new research is extremely worrying. A kneejerk reaction would be to lock and block the internet, but this would negate its vast potential for supporting young people's learning and development. Instead, we need to equip young people and their parents with the skills to use the internet safely and responsibly so they can take advantage of the opportunities that digital technology presents for positive discovery, collaboration and participation"

"It is worse being bullied over the internet because everyone can see and it makes you feel really little and small".
(Girl, 13)

Press release from BeatBullying