Christchurch Boys’ High tries to shut down abusive Instagram accounts

Christchurch Boys ‘High School has moved to shut down Instagram accounts used by some of its students in derogatory exchanges with Christchurch Girls’ High students.

Police and teachers detained about 100 Christchurch Girls ‘High students as they headed to a protest at Christchurch Boys’ High on Thursday.

The protest was in response to derogatory comments on social media commenting on chalk posts, the work of three Girls’ High students, about LGBTQIA + rights, feminism and sexual harassment left at the children’s school on Sunday. What motivated the chalk posts is unclear.

Hill said Things the school had reported the Instagram accounts to Netsafe and sought legal and police advice on how to remove them. The accounts were still active on Friday.

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“Out of 180 fans on Thursday morning, we identified 19 as Christchurch Boys’ High School students. The account holder is anonymous. I have asked all these children to leave and I have told them about the damage it has caused.

The Canterbury metropolitan area commander, Superintendent Lane Todd, said police were working with the Department of Education and the principals of both schools.

“We are in the early stages of evaluating the information we have received.”

It is understood that the police have not received any related complaints, but if any of the allegations are formalized online, they will investigate.

A Boys’ High senior, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the boys initially took the graffiti statements very personally, spitting and drawing on the graffiti.

“It showed the point of graffiti more than anything,” he said.

However, she supported the chalked messages and the protest and wondered how else the Girls’ High students could have made their point.

She believed that the messages submitted by Girls’ High students during the week were important and legitimate and she wanted more transparency from her school on how issues would be addressed.

Hill said senior student leaders from both schools were working on a joint plan to address the issues raised.

“We want to make it clear that we want to hear and hear the concerns of Christchurch Girls’ High students, particularly in relation to any specific allegations.

“We have communicated this to both Christchurch Girls’ High and the students who wrote the graffiti. I have been working and communicating with CGHS Director Christine O’Neill on a daily basis. “

In a message to parents, O’Neill said that MeToo and gender-based violence were important global conversations and that the school should guide students to channel their passions in a constructive way.

“This shouldn’t be about pointing to or blaming individual boys’ schools or targeting all boys. We all have wonderful men and boys in our lives whom we love. The focus should be on broader, systemic issues that are serious and real. “

A Boys’ High parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, supported the protest, describing the reaction from the police and the school as “ridiculously exaggerated.”

“The CGHS chief got in his car like something out of the key police. To stop a group of protesting schoolgirls on their lunch break? It was not recognized that perhaps there is something to their concerns … and that perhaps some children in a school of 1500 have actually misbehaved. “

The mother of a Girls ‘High student, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she was not “very happy” with the principals’ responses.

She said schools were the “exact” places where issues of gender and sexual violence should be addressed.

“This is where you still have them in a group and where you can force culture change, through strong leadership, to affect large numbers.

“It is all very well to consider the ‘global conversation and systemic issues’, but this does not help 14, 15, 16, 17 year old girls to influence and promote change in the community in which they live right now.”

Girls’ High Board President Julian Bowden also wrote to parents saying the school had received a lot of support.

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“We have also had great communication from mothers of daughters at school and former students who have not only shared their own experiences but also want to support this generation of young women to speak up. We also wholeheartedly support this. ”

However, as a board, it could not tolerate girls trespassing on another school property or leaving school at lunch time without permission.

”We want to train strong leaders and we want to train girls who will stand up and say” enough is enough. ” This week we have seen incredible leadership from our students to voice their concerns. We have also been overwhelmed by the girls who have come forward to talk about their own experiences.

“We need a change and we want to make sure we get it so we don’t have to have girls resort to graffiti on the weekend. We also want the students of tomorrow not to face these problems with classmates from other children’s schools in ten years’ time ”.

In a written message to parents, Hill said “the overwhelming message from children and staff has been one of empathy for issues related to female safety and willingness to participate in the conversation.”

“Many children have also been very frustrated at being accused of something they are not a part of and absolutely do not tolerate. This is a difficult issue for everyone involved. “

That some students at both schools put themselves and their peers at risk by discussing the issues on social media was disappointing, he said. The use of social media was high risk and not all parties represented the two schools.

“We ask parents to talk to their children about social media and the harm it causes.”