James Delahunty
15 Apr 2007 19:35
Alan Arthur Johnson, a British Labour Party politician and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, has called upon Internet websites to help tackle the growing problem of cyber-bullying against students and teachers. He said that video websites such as YouTube should ban malicious video clips of teachers and school students and filter them like already done with pornographic content.
Johnson spoke about the problem at the National Union of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) in Belfast. "Cyber-bullying is cruel and relentless, able to follow a child beyond the school gates and into their homes," he said. "The online harassment of teachers is causing some to consider leaving the profession because of the defamation and humiliation they are forced to suffer."
Teachers now have the right to confiscate mobile phones in the classroom to prevent bullies from recording footage of teachers or students for malicious intent. He believes however that online video sites have the power to make a huge difference, saying, "without the online approval which appeals to the innate insecurities of the bully, such sinister activities would have much less attraction".
Source:
Guardian