‘Ugly and vicious’: Auckland girls school warns of online bullying

The principal of one of Auckland’s leading schools has issued a strong warning to students about “cruel” online bullying, saying they might be engaging in criminal behavior.

A video message was sent Thursday to the parents of the Epsom Girls Grammar School students. It featured a police officer detailing online harassment laws and possible penalties for breaking them.

“I have seen content that can only be described as ugly and cruel,” Principal Lorraine Pound said in the message to parents.

“This kind of online behavior must stop.”

When asked to comment, Pound said the video was a general message that was not triggered by a specific incident or incidents at the high school. She declined to comment further.

It is understood that it came after recent events at the school that required the Ministry of Education to step in and provide support.

Pound said in the video that EGGS was taking online bullying seriously and had sought advice from the police and internet watchdog Netsafe because “too many people are not acting responsibly or appropriately online.”

He emphasized the possible legal ramifications of cyberbullying, citing the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

“It is not harmless fun or justified self-expression to engage in online activities that go against the principles of this law,” Pound said.

Students were warned that they could be tracked if they broke the law online. The school worked alongside Netsafe and law enforcement on social media sites like Instagram to track the identity of any student who engaged in unacceptable behavior online, Pound said.

Holly Stiles, a community liaison officer, said in the video that anyone 14 years of age or older was criminally liable for their behavior and could be prosecuted. She outlined the principles of the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which included not harassing or threatening other people online.

“It’s a sad place when we have to stand here and tell them not to do these things,” Stiles said in the video. “But sadly, we do.”

She added, “If you are engaging in any of these behaviors, stop now. You have no idea what the other person is going through.”

A police spokeswoman said a video was provided to the school as part of routine police work on cyberbullying, and that the video had also been released to other schools.

Youth reports to New Zealand’s internet watchdog Netsafe have risen 40 percent in the past three years, although it is not known whether that reflects an increase in bullying or a rise in reporting. Reports related to “personal injury” increased by 85% during this period, and among the most common complaints are “social assault.”

Katrina Casey, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education, Enabling and Industry Support, said schools were increasingly involved in incidents where students’ activity at home or in their own time had an impact on their school life.

“Schools have the power to act when it is reasonable to expect that what happened could have a negative impact on the school’s learning environment,” he said.

Online bullying involved behavior similar to in-person bullying, but differed in that it could happen at any time, even at home, Casey said.

The ministry funded Netsafe to provide support and advice to the schools. It is up to schools how to restrict student access to the Internet.

In an email to parents Thursday, Epsom Girls Grammar School said it blocked student access to social networking sites Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Netflix.

It allowed students to use other platforms, including Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, and Whatsapp.

It also required students and parents to sign a Digital Citizenship Agreement, in which they accept the conditions on using the Internet.

Netsafe research has found that adolescent girls are far more likely than boys to use instant messaging and photo sharing tools, which could make them more susceptible to cyberbullying.

International studies have also shown that young people who are vulnerable offline are generally at higher risk online. This is particularly true of bullying, harassment, and anxiety about self-esteem or body image.

Where to get help
To report bullying online, call 0508 NETSAFE or text Netsafe at 4282 or go to report.netsafe.org.nz.
To speak to someone, call Youthline on 0800 37 66 33 or text 234 or call What’s Up on 0800 942 8787.
If you are concerned for your immediate safety or that of someone else, call 111.