A non-government boys' school in Melbourne (the School) has expelled two Year 11 students following an investigation into an alleged Instagram account which featured degrading photographs of girls. The mother of one of the girls publicised the social media account by posting a scathing message on Facebook condemning the boys and their parents.
The boys' actions have raised questions about the use of social media and also how schools should react to inappropriate social media use by students.
The account in question, described as 'vile' by the Sydney Morning Herald, was offensive on many levels. The account invited other users to vote for the ‘slut of the year’ and displayed images of girls as young as 11– still in primary school at the time of the photographs - without their knowledge. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that one photo apparently showed a girl wearing a singlet with bikini bottoms alongside a caption describing sex acts she would perform. Other photos of unsuspecting girls in various stages of dress were also discovered by one victim’s mother, who notified the Police. The page was shut down shortly after the School became aware of the problem.
The mother's Facebook post has received wide exposure on social media and has already been shared hundreds of times. In her comments she held the parents responsible for raising boys who 'violated young girls'. Although she díd not outwardly blame the School, reputational damage was inevitable from the fall out.
The School responded quickly to the scandal, initially suspending the boys three days after the story broke. Two days later, however, the School went further, expelling the students. That day, the principal released a statement to parents claiming the account was an 'anathema' to everything the School valued. The principal also made clear that such behaviour by other students would not be accepted in future. Since then, the School has contacted one of Australia's leading cyber educators and is planning to meet soon to both review the current social media education program and seek further guidance.
It has been reported that the School is reeling from the scandal. However, the decision to expel the responsible students has not been met with universal agreement. Two high profile commentators have disagreed with the School's decision to expel the pupils. Public education advocate, Jane Caro, said that lengthy 'counselling, education and support' would be the best option for troublemakers – insisting that the damage done to those expelled is far too great a consequence for their actions. These students are in Year 11 and will soon to commence VCE subjects. It was Ms Caro's view that the disruption caused to their studies at such a crucial time was overblown and would not result in educating the boys on showing respect for women and social media safety. Controversial radio host, Neil Mitchell, has also suggested that the School's decision was excessive, stating that '17 and 16-year old boys are stupid'.
Cyber safety expert Susan McLean did not comment on the School's decision but claimed the boys have 'a sense of entitlement'. She went on to say that the parents should be 'absolutely mortified'.
Schools are not alone in taking serious action against students who misuse social media. In a separate incident of a similar nature, five male university students were expelled from a top college in Canberra (the College) after the revelation of a closed-group set up on Facebook for the sharing of ‘creep shots’. The photos taken down the shirts and of the breasts of unsuspecting female students were shared among the 30 or so members in the group, asking participants to judge who had the best breasts. Sexist slurs populated the comment section of the photos. Most disappointing for the College and its community, was the revelation that one of the members of the group was a student in charge of student welfare–a student who was supposed to be supporting fellow pupils at the school.
These incidents at both the School and the College are evidence of an endemic social media problem. This problem suggests that the dangers and misuse of social media–the consequences–have not been sufficiently considered. This could also, unfortunately, be a sign of more serious problems of misogyny and bullying in schools.
The boundary between student use of social media at school and in their private lives has become increasingly blurred. Ultimately, social media’s popularity amongst students is inevitable. Weighing up the myriad of benefits and detriments, all trends are pointing towards incorporation of social media into school lives. Therefore, the lack of student education of responsible social media use is an issue that schools can no longer ignore. Rather than prohibiting use, schools should acquaint themselves with appropriate procedures and policies, adequate staff training, student education and a robust approach to sanctions and punishments for those that abuse social media platforms. Through a combination of these strategies, schools will be able to minimise risks and harm that may result from irresponsible use of social media. The school discussed above has taken a positive step in educating its students by connecting with an industry leader.
Although these incidents are an indication of the dangers of social media in schools, it is important to be aware of the benefits that can be attributed to our connection to the web and to phone applications. The current world-wide phenomenon Pokémon Go that has swept across schools, grabbing the attention of many educators and staff members has just arrived. Pokémon Go is an iPhone and Android app that has created a storm among young people. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that the new app fosters a sense of community and participation in rural schools. UK news site, The Independent, has reported that the app is used in the classroom to help autistic children. Of course, there will always be dangers, for example one student was robbed while playing on Pokémon Go, while the app has also caused privacy and child safety concerns due to its GPS tracking system.
A social media strategy and training for students is integral. It is no longer acceptable to remain silent for parents and schools.
For further information, see our earlier article on social media use and risk management.