'Close down YouTube' call from teachers » Education » 24dash.com

Websites such as YouTube must be closed down to stop bullies targeting children and school staff online, teachers demanded today.

Nowhere is safe from so-called "cyber-bullying" as bullies continue sending abusive text messages or emails outside school, the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) said.

Perpetrators post mobile phone videos on websites, showing teachers as well as pupils being attacked or humiliated, the union's annual conference in Harrogate was told.

Delegates backed a motion demanding that such websites be closed down.

The motion was proposed by Kirsti Paterson, from the PAT's Highland and Western Isles Federation, who said one teacher had been the subject of a death threat posted online.

A pupil posted a doctored picture of the teacher, headless, with the caption: "YOU ARE DEAD".

She continued: "Nowhere is safe from cyber-bullying. It can carry on 24/7 through mobile phones and in multiple forms online.

"Remarks, images posted online can easily be copied and made available to a global audience.

"In the short term, confronting this problem must be the closure of sites encouraging cyber-bullying."

Catriona Tait, a newly qualified primary teacher from Dundee, said one in four pupils had experienced cyber-bullying at some time.

"Not only are the children and young adults in our care subjected to such torment, it would now appear that members of the profession are becoming victims of cyber-bullying," she said.

"Just a few words entered into the video-sharing site YouTube and a number of short videos featuring members of staff were at my fingertips.

"Nobody should be subjected to such humiliation anywhere, let alone in their place of work," she said.

"We demand the closure of such sties encouraging this irresponsible use of technology."

A YouTube spokesman said the vast majority of people used the site responsibly.

"YouTube is a community site used by millions of people in very positive ways," he said.

"It's also used by organisations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth to reach people on a range of important issues.

"Sadly as with any form of communication, there is a tiny minority of people who try to break the rules.

"YouTube is part of the Government's Cyberbullying Taskforce, working closely with teachers unions and others.

"If teachers or anyone else see content that they think is inappropriate and breaks our guidelines then they can flag it and we will review it.

"If it does break our terms then we will remove it.'

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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