Teachers 'target for malice on social networking sites'

Teachers have become the target of malicious messages and hate groups posted by pupils on social networking sites, a union warned today.

One in seven teachers (17 per cent) say a colleague has faced online abuse from a student or parent, or other types of cyberbullying, according to a poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Students have posed as members of staff and sent "sexually inappropriate" messages or established "sinister" groups calling for teachers to be sacked.

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A male head of department in a state secondary school told researchers: "My identity was stolen by pupils on Facebook and used to send messages as me to other pupils.

"Messages by two pupils were anonymously posted about me on a music website that alleged illegal activity with pupils."

Another said: "A student within school posed as a member of staff. I and several colleagues added this person and had them as a friend for several months until said person started to send sexually inappropriate comments to another colleague."

Delegates at ATL's annual conference in Manchester yesterday passed a resolution calling for the union to develop a policy and issue advice to members on dealing with social networking sites.

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The motion said: "Conference is alarmed at the detrimental effect that social networking websites such as Facebook, Bebo and Twitter can cause persons working in the education sector."

Speaking for the motion, ATL executive committee member Alison

Sherratt, said: "It is a shock to find, as some teachers have, that pupils have posted malicious comments.

"Incidents I have heard of included an ex-pupil who set up a

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group 'Join this group if you believe Mrs X is still a virgin."'

Nick Clayton, of ATL's Wirral branch, told delegates that some pupils set up positive groups.

But he added: "Juxtaposed against this are the more sinister groups set up aggressively calling for the heads of perfectly competent, yet firm teachers."