Teachers subject of online abuse by parents and pupils, report shows

According to research by union NASUWT, nearly one-third of teachers have reported being abused online in the past 12 months.

Half of those targeted also said that parents and not just pupils were “authors of the abuse”.

The union surveyed 1,507 teachers and 31 per cent said they had been abused online in the last year.

Eighty-five per cent of insulting comments made by parents about teachers were on the topic of professionalism and teaching, 26 per cent were regarding character and appearance, and 20 per cent were threats.

Of insulting comments made by pupils, 52 per cent were regarding character or appearance, 45 per cent was focused on professionalism and teaching, and 38 per cent featured pictures or videos which were taken without consent.

The survey also revealed that 29 per cent of abuse goes unreported because teachers do not think their complaints will be taken seriously; 18 per cent of teachers have had uninvited comments posted by pupils/parents to their personal social media accounts; and 38 per cent of teachers have chosen to stop using social media for reasons linked to their profession – mainly to ensure details of their private life remain confidential.

Commenting on the findings, Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The findings of this survey paint a shocking picture of what is happening in our schools, where on a day-to-day basis teachers are getting no support despite being subjected to appalling levels of online abuse.

“Most worryingly it appears that rather than setting a good example to their children, even some parents think it is acceptable to abuse and threaten teachers online.”

He added: “This has to stop. Being a victim of online abuse can be a very traumatic experience, which can potentially ruin lives and careers. Government must act to put more safeguards in place to protect teachers and pupils alike and ensure our classrooms remain a safe and secure environment for all.”

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