How+does+cyber+bullying+effect+teachers?


 * CYBER BULLYING AND TEACHERS **

Stude﻿nts are not the only ones that are affected by cyber-bullying. In 2007, a survey of urban teachers found that 75% felt that they were able to discourage bullying in the school. The same 75% felt that teachers could not stop bullying outright. The same survey showed that 95% of school administrators felt that students could stop a bully but only 65% of teachers agreed.

Teachers also run the risk of becoming targets of cyber bullying themselves. Students unhappy with marks or a teacher in general, can make comments online that question a teacher’s sexuality or competence. These kinds of comments can have serious impacts on a teacher’s reputation in a town and can cause the same emotional distress as cyber bullying can cause in students. A survey done by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers of 630 teachers and support staff found that 15% had been bullied online – with tactics ranging from abusive messages to hate sites and photographs or videos being posted. Some 45% knew a colleague who had been a victim, and 17% were aware of hate groups being set up to target others.

Cyber bullying affects more then just students

__Some personal experiences of Teachers __

 Jane, a High School art teacher, responded to the survey. She said that she had found sexually explicit comments made about her by students on a social networking site and when she confronted the perpetrators, the comments intensified. She also found a forum had been created on an art website with the sole purpose of criticising her teaching.

 She said: ‘I managed to get the website to remove the content though this has really dented my confidence and made me feel physically ill for several weeks. I coped with it in the end, though I don’t feel it was ever properly dealt with as I could not identify the individuals that had posted the offensive articles.’

 Another respondent, Jim, a High School Math teacher, said that parents had actually gone to the trouble of setting up a website themselves on which they could criticise and undermine staff at the school. He said: ‘It was clear that the sole aim of this group of parents was to destroy the {Principals} reputation and character. Their website also referred to other members of staff in derogatory terms which have been highly upsetting and demotivating.’