A study by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) reveals that nearly 20% of teachers have been victims of online trolling, non-consensual video uploads and false online images, predominantly perpetrated by their students. However, parents have also been identified as contributors to such incidents, accounting for almost a fifth of the cases.
The study involved responses from 1,920 ASTI members, with 18% asserting personal experiences of online abuse, mainly from their students. While for most it was a one-off occurrence, almost a third of them reported repeated incidents, and 11% considered the issue to be persistent.
The research also discovered that school staff or management were held responsible in 6% and 4% of the reported cases respectively. Moira Leydon, the assistant general secretary of ASTI, expressed that despite the shocking statistics, it wasn’t entirely unexpected given students’ occasional disapproval of their school life. She highlighted a significant shift in how discontentment is manifested, with frustration now being broadcasted on social media platforms.
Although critical, Leydon acknowledged the broader societal issue and complications associated with managing major social media platforms. She called for increased support, training, and guidance to mitigate this issue, without solely blaming the Department of Education.
Whilst most cases are handled locally by schools in line with their individual policies, Leydon mentions that the complexity increases when the perpetrators cannot be identified. Finally, she highlighted a potential solution in the form of a third-party monitoring service used by the National Association of Principals and Deputies to regulate online content, suggesting it would be useful to extend this service to all teachers.
“We mustn’t propagate the notion that teacher harassment is rampant. It’s not widespread, but it’s definitely a grave matter with available solutions and actions that can be set into motion rapidly,” was the key takeaway.
Existing data revealed that only a fraction of incidents prompted teachers approach An Garda Síochána or legal advisors.
The issue will be the focal point of several discussions at the upcoming ASTI conference in Wexford, which will include insights from a renowned global expert on artificial intelligence.
The ASTI’s investigation revealed that a notable proportion of educators voice worries about the effects of AI on their roles and on education as a whole. However, a substantial segment, 31% to be precise, said they employed it as an aid to structure lessons, while 22% claimed to be gradually implementing it into their teaching spaces. Kieran Christie, the union’s chief officer, added that detailed results from an impending survey post Easter, focusing on member’s perspective about the potential marriage of ASTI and TUI, would be available at the forthcoming conferences.
He voiced the need to understand the present temperament of their members, particularly those who don’t customarily engage in union branch meetings, to guide their future course of action.