Schools may block bullying websites

SCHOOLS may have to purchase expensive systems to block websites which allow students to engage in bullying their peers online.

The latest site to raise concern among school principals has been used by teenagers, mostly in Dublin, to spread stories about schoolmates or teenagers in neighbouring schools.

The hateboard.com site is not currently blocked by the internet security system in use by most of the country’s 4,000 primary and second-level schools. This may be because the site has not been in use here long enough to raise the attention of the system.

Less than 300 Irish schools are believed to have the necessary equipment to block named sites.

A number of students at Alexandra College in south Dublin were suspended for logging on to www.hateboard.com on school computers before Christmas.

The site carries dozens of messages which are anonymous but clearly from students of Dublin schools. Much of the commentary about named young people is of a sexual nature or about their appearance.

British charity Bullying Online has had complaints about abuse being posted but said those involved do not realise the effect that public humiliation has on those on the receiving end.

“In the past, young people have told us they have wanted to kill themselves after receiving threats and abuse. Others have told us they have lost all their friends after bogus messages were posted in their name,” said director Liz Carnell.

The use of the internet for psychological bullying follows on from the trend of humiliating text messages.

Irish Primary Principals Network director Sean Cottrell said children as young as 10, who might not otherwise be involved in bullying, are using the apparent anonymity of phones to send nasty messages to teachers and other pupils.

One-in-seven British students have suffered from bullying in this way, according to a recent survey which also found that half of teenage girls have been sent threatening texts or emails.

The controversial ‘ratemyteachers’ website also caused an uproar last year, with students posting views about their teachers.