Introduction
Future Education recognises that technology plays an important and positive role in pupil’s lives, both educationally and socially. It is committed to helping all members of the School community to understand both the benefits and the risks, and to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to be able to use technology safely and responsibly.
This policy was drawn up having had regard to the Department for Education’s non statutory cyber-bullying guidance.
Aims
The aims of this policy are to ensure that:
- Pupils, staff and parents are educated to understand about cyber-bullying, including the likely consequences and to stay safe online.
- Staff and parents understand that they have a part to play in the safeguarding and protection of pupils at school and at home respectively.
- Policies and procedures are in place to help prevent incidents of cyber-bullying within Future Education.
- We have effective measures to deal with cases of cyber-bullying and to keep children safe online
This policy should be read in conjunction with the School’s policies on Anti-Bullying, Safeguarding and Data Protection.
What is E-Safety?
E-safety may be described as:
“Protecting and educating pupils and staff in their use of technology”
The amount of issues classified within e-safety is considerable, but can be categorised into three main areas of risk:
- Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material
- Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users
- Conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm.
Delivery of this requires the education of all the pupils and staff, of safety innovations such as monitoring, web filtering and anti-virus software.
What is cyber-bullying?
Cyber-bullying is the use of ICT deliberately to tease, bully, threaten or upset someone else by electronic media. It can happen at any time of day (invading home/personal space) and can involve a number of people.
Cyber-bullying can take place across all age groups and can draw bystanders into being accessories. Cyber-bullying can include (but is not limited to): threats and intimidation; harassment or ‘cyberstalking’; ridicule; vilification/defamation; exclusion or peer rejection; impersonation; unauthorised publication of private information, video or images; and manipulation.
PREVENTING CYBER BULLYING AND PROMOTING E-SAFETY
Understanding and discussion
The Board of Governors are responsible for the approval of this policy and for reviewing its effectiveness. The Head Teacher is responsible on a day-to-day basis for overseeing the practices and procedures outlined in this policy.
In the event of a serious e-safety allegation being made against a member of staff, the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the School’s Safeguarding procedures. Staff will receive training in identifying cyber-bullying and understanding their responsibilities in developing e-safety. It is made clear in staff meetings that staff should not have contact with current pupils on social networking sites (specifically should not be-friend pupils on Facebook). In addition it will not usually be appropriate to have past pupils as friends and consent from the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teachermust be obtained before acceptance.
Parents are encouraged to use social media responsibly and ensure their childuses social media at home is appropriate. If parents have any queries regarding e-safety and/or safe use of social media they are welcome to speak with a member of school staff.
All concerns and complaints will be handled in accordance with the Complaints Procedure.
Pupils will be educated about e-safety and cyber-bullying through a variety of means such as through PSHE and in ICT lessons.
Policies and practices
The Head Teacher will:
•Ensure regular review of this policy.
•Keep good records of all cyber bullying incidents?
•Ensure that incident of cyber-bullying are dealt with in accordance with the School’s Anti-Bullying Policy.
•In the event of a breach of policy, the school will block pupil accounts, pending an investigation.
Promoting the positive use of technology
Future Education will:
•Make positive use of technology across the curriculum.
•Use training opportunities to help staff develop their practice creatively and support pupils in safe and responsible use.
•Explore ways of using technology to support assertiveness and self-esteem.
•Ensure all staff and pupils understand the importance of password security and the need to log out of accounts.
Making reporting easier
The School will:
•Ensure staff are able to recognise signs and indications of cyber-bullying
•Publicise and promote the message that asking for help is the right thing to do and shows strength and good judgement and the ways in which cyber bullying can be reported
•Ensure that all students understand that e-safety incidents can be reported to any of the staff members at Future Education.
RESPONDING TO CYBER-BULLYING
Most cases of cyber bullying will be dealt with through the School’s existing Anti-bullying Policy. However cyber-bullying differs from other forms of bullying.
The key differences are:
•Impact: the scale and scope of cyber bullying can be greater than other forms of bullying.
•Targets and perpetrators: the people involved may have a different profile to traditional bullies and their targets.
•Location: the 24/7 and anywhere nature of cyber bullying.
•Anonymity: the person being bullied will not always know who is bullying them.
•Motivation: some pupils may not be aware that what they are doing is bullying.
•Evidence: unlike other forms of bullying, the target of the bullying will have evidence of its occurrence.
•Criminal acts: cyber-bullying and online harassment may be criminal acts which may involve the police and social services.
•It is possible that a member of staff may also be a victim.
Support for pupils
All students are encouraged to discuss any concerns with a member of school staff or their parents. Where a student believes they are being bulled online, they are encouraged to take the following steps:
•To immediately report the matter to a member of staff
•Not to respond or retaliate to the bullying online
•Keep any evidence of the bullying by, for example, taking a screen print of the message or web page and handing this to a member of staff.
The School recognises the importance of offering emotional support to victims of cyber-bullying.
On receipt of a report of cyber-bullying, staff should:
•Reassure the pupil that they have done the right thing in reporting it.
•Advise the person not to retaliate and retain any evidence for use any subsequent investigation into the incident.
•Report the incident to the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher.
•Advise the person to consider what information they have in the public domain and whether any steps can be taken to limit access to their personal information.
•In some cases, the pupil should be advised to block the alleged bully from their sites and services.
Safeguarding
Pupils will be given age appropriate information, for example, in PSHE and ICT lessons about online grooming, internet sites containing violent or adult content and sharing personal information and photographs online.
Any member of staff should contact the Designated Professional Lead at any time, where there are safeguarding concerns. The School’s Safeguarding procedures should be followed in the event of any safeguarding concerns.
All evidence should be preserved together with a record of abuse e.g. save phone messages, record or save-and-print instant messenger conversations, print or produce a screenshot of social network pages, print and save a hard copy of e-communications.
If images are involved, the member of staff should consider whether they might be illegal (such as actual/suspected illegal content). If so the DPL should be contacted immediately. The police and social services should be contacted direct where there is a perceived immediate risk of harm.
Any allegations made against staff will be handled in accordance with the School’s Child Protection procedures.
Guidance for Safe Use of the Internet
The School reserves the right to monitor pupils’ use of the School IT System with the aim of ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for all and to:
•Prevent or detect criminal activity
•Prevent the unauthorised use of the computer systems.
•Allow the maintenance or the effective operation of the School’s IT systems (e.g. preventing viruses or spam, or users persistently turning computers off)
IDENTIFYING THE BULLY
Although technology seemingly allows anonymity, there are ways to find out information about where bullying originated.
However, it is important to be aware that this may not necessarily lead to an identifiable individual. For instance, if another person’s phone or school network account has been used.
In cases where staffs don’t know the identity of the bully, some key questions should be considered:
•Was the bullying carried out in school?If this is the case, the Head Teacher or the Deputy Head Teacher should be informed so the ICT Manager can be informed.
•Are there identifiable witnesses that can be interviewed? There may be pupils who have visited the offending site and left comments, for example.
•If the bullying was not carried out in school, was it carried out on a mobile or a particular internet service? Providers may be able to take steps to stop the abuse by blocking the aggressor or removing content it considers defamatory or breaks the terms of service. The police may also need to be informed, as appropriate.
•If the bullying was via mobile phone, has the bully withheld their number? If so, it is important to record the date and time of the message and contact the mobile operator. Steps can be taken to trace the call, but the mobile operator can only disclose this information to the police, so police would need to be involved. If the number is not withheld, it may be possible for the school to identify the caller.
•Has a potential criminal offence been committed? If so, the police must be informed. The School takes all incidents of cyber-bullying seriously. It can be a very serious matter and could constitute a criminal offence.
HOW TO DEAL WITH CYBER-BULLYING
Due to the anonymous nature of digital communication, anyone with a mobile phone or internet connection can be the target of cyber-bullying.
Here are some general points to help deal with cyber bullying:
•If you feel you are being bullied by email, text or online, do talk to someone you trust.
•Never send any bullying or threatening messages.
•Keep and save any bullying email, text or images.
•If you can make a note of the time and date bullying messages or images were sent and note any details about the sender.
•Use blocking software; you can block instant messages from certain people, “unfriend” people on social networking sites or use mail filters to block email.
•Do not reply to bullying or threatening messages or emails; this could make matters worse. It also lets the bullying people know that they have found a “live” number, email address or “active” social networking contact.
•Do not give out your personal details online; if you are in a chatroom, online game or IM session watch what you say about where you live, the school you go to, your email address, your friends and family. All these things can help someone build up a picture about you.
•Do not forward abusive texts, email or images to anyone. You could be breaking the law just by forwarding them. If they are about you, keep them as evidence.
•Do not ever give out passwords!
•Remember that sending abusive or threatening messages is against the law.
•Do report instances of cyber bullying you have seen or heard about, even if not directed at you. There is no such thing as an innocent bystander, if you have seen the posts, messages or images then you could be considered as part of it if you do not report it.
E- SAFETY AND ANTI-CYBER BULLYING POLICY