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Kevin addresses the first ever National Cyberbullying Conference
Good morning, I’m Kevin Brennan. It is a privilege to address the first National Cyberbullying Conference. I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person, but I’m pleased to have this opportunity to talk to you about the new cyberbullying guidance, recently published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, in collaboration with Childnet International. Wellbeing for children, families, and those who work with them, is one of this Government’s top priorities. That is why we have published a comprehensive set of guidance on bullying, to give schools, pupils and parents the advice they need to combat behaviour that can lead to serious upset and harm. I know that many of you participated in the consultation when we were drawing up the guidance. I want to thank you for those important contributions, and for continuing the debate at today’s conference. Bullying has always been around, in various guises. But now it is evolving in new ways. The vast majority of people now have a mobile phone in their pocket and an internet connection in their homes and bullies have made cyberspace their new playground. The information super-highway is an express lane into people’s lives, their bedrooms, and their workplaces. In Cyberspace, the bully appears to be shrouded in a cloak of anonymity. And he has more accomplices – people viewing content, forwarding links, and participating in online discussions. Knowingly or not, more and more people are participating in cyberbullying. Used responsibly, technology is a tremendously positive force for good. It is a powerful educational tool that is transforming the way we learn; it puts billions of products and services at our fingertips; and it allows us to communicate with people all around the world. Indeed without it, I would not be able to talk to you today. But in the wrong hands it can spread insults, threats, abuse and misery like an epidemic. Recent research shows that many young people have suffered from cyberbullying in one form or another. So have teachers; and it can effect their motivation, job satisfaction, and the way they teach. How would any of us would feel if we read comments like ‘he is utterly useless, she doesn’t know the first thing about teaching, they are rubbish with a capital R’, about ourselves. All are comments that can be found online, written by pupils, about their teachers. Such public naming and shaming is humiliating, demoralising, and a form of bullying, and hardworking teachers should not have to put up with insulting and thoughtless remarks. The learning community should be secure. A safe haven - safe to learn, and safe to teach. Our new guidance gives schools invaluable advice on how to eradicate cyberbullying. We need to raise awareness – not just for those teaching; but amongst all school staff, as well as parents, pupils, and, of course, the industry. Every one of us must share in this collective responsibility. In government we are working hard to send out the right messages. In addition to the range of guidance on bullying, a digital marketing campaign, a new film for schools produced by Childnet, and ongoing discussions with you – our partners – will help us to do that. But the problem must be tackled on all sides. There are several ways to do that: Firstly, we need to give teachers the advice and support they need to identify instances of cyberbullying, deal with them effectively, and to educate pupils and parents about this important issue. Legislation is already in place to protect the school community from bullying. The Education and Inspections Act 2006, for example, includes legal powers for head teachers to regulate pupils’ conduct beyond the school gate. And they can now confiscate mobile phones and other items deemed to be causing bad behaviour and disruption. Those powers are useful in combating cyberbullying. But what schools have lacked up until now is practical advice on ways in which they can protect staff and pupils from this specific form of bullying. That is exactly what this guidance provides. I want schools to feel confident about putting robust systems in place – that really work for that particular school. Nominating one teacher to coordinate bullying strategy across the school, ensuring that cyberbullying is incorporated into existing anti-bullying policies, and regularly evaluating and updating systems to ensure that they are working, are just a few important steps schools can take to control cyberbullies. Schools can ensure that parents and pupils know how to report cyberbullying – both within the school, and with service providers directly. Every effort must be made to prevent the problem before it starts. But where it does rear its ugly head, it must be dealt with at the earliest possible juncture. The ramifications of cyberbullying must be clear: victims must not suffer in silence; bullies must suffer in sanctions. Secondly, we need to teach young people to use technology responsibly, to consider the feelings of others, and treat them with respect. Of course, the majority of young people do behave responsibly. But bullying is not always intentional. Sometimes it is the result of people posting things online and not thinking about the consequences. Perhaps thinking something is a joke, and not realising that the recipient or person to which it refers may be offended. In broadening the curriculum to encompass citizenship – and through social and emotional aspects of learning – we will give pupils the tools they need to become responsible citizens, who can deal with conflict, recognise others’ needs, and fulfil their own moral responsibilities when using technology. We need to make sure that teaching is relevant to the problems young people are facing today. As the means of communications develop, so must the messages we send to pupils. We need to keep up to keep them informed. The film which Childnet has produced - and which is being premiered later in this conference – will be of real practical help to teachers to address this issue in the classroom. As adults, it can sometimes feel difficult for us to keep up. I like to think of myself as quite technologically aware. But like many parents sometimes I feel left behind. It is important that parents and teachers feel confident and familiar with ICT, can effect swift solutions when problems arise, and can pass credible messages about responsible use of technology on to young people. A lot of it is common sense, like the maxim “treat your password like your toothbrush – don’t let anyone else use it”. A simple rule that can be passed on from parent to child to help them protect themselves better. And thirdly, the technology industry and service providers must play their part in tackling cyberbullying. With some of the most popular websites getting millions of hits a day, it is clear that policing the streets of cyber world is no easy task. As a carrier of messages, images and information, Royal Mail could not possibly be expected to monitor the content of each and every package that passes through its hands. And by the same token, we have to be realistic about the possibility of pre-scrutinising every piece of cyber content. But providers do have a moral obligation to ensure that children – and indeed all users – can access services safely. So it is absolutely imperative that providers put robust mechanisms in place whereby people using the internet and other services can make complaints. They have a corporate social responsibility to ensure that children in particular are protected from misuse of their services. I am pleased that major representatives from industry have participated in our cyberbullying taskforce, and contributed to this guidance. But also we, as users, must be alert to suspect content on the internet, take a collective responsibility for its removal. It is our duty to be vigilant and report anything offensive just as we are asked to report suspect packages at railway stations. Thank you for listening. You now have the chance to put across your own views on some of these important issues, via the electronic voting system in front of you. So, once again putting technology to good use, fingers on the buzzers, and all the best for a successful conference. Thank you. |
