Teachers call for closure of YouTube
/v3-uk/news/1998362/teachers-closure-youtube
01 Aug 2007, Robert Jaques , V3
UK teachers said yesterday that the only way to tackle cyber bullying in schools is to close websites such as YouTube, which encourage such behaviour.
Speaking at the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) annual conference yesterday, Kirsti Paterson of the Highland & Western Isles Federation SEC Committee, said that bullying had transcended the playground and moved into the digital realm.
"As we move further into the 21st century, we are also recognising a new form of bullying, manifesting itself in the misuse of mobile phones. The majority of young people possess the newest and most hi-tech gadgets, increasing digital interaction. Such technological advance has also brought the threat to which I make reference in my motion – cyber bullying."
Paterson said that cyber bullying ranged from texting threatening messages to using camera and videophones to take pictures without permission. She said that such videos have been discovered on the YouTube website. Meanwhile access to internet sites such as Rate My Teacher is also being used by pupils to make hurtful and offensive comments about school staff.
In one incident, pictures of a staff member were taken during a class lesson and posted on a website, with the accompanying caption: "YOU ARE DEAD".
In another, a pupil put derogatory comments about another pupil on a website but portrayed it as though it was a staff member who had published the offensive remarks.
"Nowhere is safe from cyber bullying. It can carry on 24/7 through mobile phones and in multiple forms online. Remarks, images posted online can be easily copied and can be present on line in many places. To quote our general secretary, Philip Parkin, 'Cyber bullying is an invasion of privacy from which it can be difficult to escape'," Paterson said.
In the short term, Paterson proposed the closure of sites encouraging the cyber bullying but in the long term, she said authorities and schools must have policies encouraging responsible and safe behaviour online.
According to a recent study carried out by Goldsmiths University, between a fifth and quarter of students surveyed had been a victim of cyber bullying at least once over recent months.
Do you agree?
Censorship...
... is the preferred tool of feeble minds and fascists.
Have the offending videos removed, prosecute the offenders, but leave the !"/$%? bamyan buddhas alone! (oops, too late for these)
Posted by insertnamehere, 01 Aug 2007
Removing symptoms
Holding YouTube responsible for what bullies put on their website is like holding the telephone company responsible for people making threatenting calls.
The action of these students on YouTube are an expression of the failure of teachers and gaurdians, to some extent society as a whole, to encourage responsible behavior among their young.
Posted by A, 03 Aug 2007
Err, what?
Would you ban the internet entirely to increase the amount of people using Libraries? No.
YouTube is a tool, like the Internet, and an important one. It just needs updating to address what content goes on and make sure it's not videos of this nature. Banning only one Video streaming wbsite will not do anything; it will only make other video sites who are still up more popular, and then the problem becomes even more difficult to tackle..
Posted by Geoff, 28 Aug 2007
SOME teachers... not all by any means:
Speaking as a teacher, I and many colleagues find useful resources for class demos on YouTube - eg computer science, design and technology etc - it is indeed only a feeble-minded few who would advocate censorship over education!
Posted by LAH, 21 Sep 2007
The Problem is NOT YOUTUBE
YOUTUBE only reflects what is submitted, and not all is negative. Excellent educational resources can be found on YOUTUBE. As a classroom teacher I use it often as a teaching tool. I've used it to teach about bullying as well as reinforcing and illustrating school curriculum. Just as there is trash on television as well as degrading and violent music in the recording industry, the viewer has a CHOICE as to what to search and view. When will parents become responsible and accountable for what their children are watching? The problem is supervision of children, NOT the YOUTUBE site itself.
Posted by Sue Clark, 04 Dec 2007