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10 Apr 2007
YouTube and other video-sharing websites have a "moral obligation" to tackle cyber-bullies, according to UK education secretary Alan Johnson.
Johnson will today call for sites such as YouTube and RateMyTeachers to remove offensive videos of people being attacked or harassed.
The education secretary is expected to tell the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers conference in Belfast that bullying is causing many teachers to leave the profession.
The move comes five months after the NASUWT demanded action to stop pupils humiliating them by posting offensive video clips and abuse online.
NASUWT general secretary Christine Keates said: "Bullies are being handed an increasingly sophisticated tool with which to make life a misery."
Johnson will also use today's conference to outline new powers for teachers to confiscate mobile phones used for abusive calling and messaging.
He will tell delegates: "Cyber bullying is cruel and relentless, able to follow a child beyond the school gates and into their homes. The online harassment of teachers is causing some to consider leaving the profession."
Johnson wants sites like YouTube and Rate My Teachers to "take firmer action to block or remove offensive school videos in the same way that they have cut pornographic content."
RateMyTeachers says that it moderates its content and insists that 70 per cent of its postings are positive. YouTube says it trusts its users to "be responsible, and millions of users respect that trust."
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Do you agree?
Why not publish my email address ?
"YouTube"invites any comments, . . .sorry any racist comments, . . .but promishes not to publilise email addresses! Y so? Would the people who use it (e.g.use the word "*****" )be inhibited or more likely to use this profit making organisation, if their email addresses were not kept by YouTube or maybe. . . ? Best Wishes to Utube and keep silent, as you will, for the money you make re child fights and racisicm.(joke/irony) John
Posted by: John Formby 30 Jul 2007
Animal cruelty
Its obvious that many of the more popular cites are not screening videos before they are viewed by the general public. I have seen several animal cruelty crimes on a couple of the more popular cites and it sickens me. It's horrible that you can go to the internet and actually witness a crime and no one is doing anything about it. You Tube must use stricter scrutiny on videos being posted. Animal cruelty is very offensive and can be traumatic to watch.
Posted by: Bambi McCarthy 11 Apr 2007
It's not only children being humiliated
I definately agree that these video sharing sites need to do a better job of filtering out abusive content. Not only abuse of children and teens, but also the abuse of animals. Trusting that people will not upload these kinds of videos is obviously not enough.
Posted by: Debbie Smith 10 Apr 2007
Cyber-Bullying Pets and Animals.
This is a step in the right direction. However, when are our nations going to stand up and take a stand against uploading videos of torturing animals and pit bull fighting? This has been a problem way long since this issue and these video hosting sites refuse to stop this practice and also take these videos down.
Posted by: Jan Armstrong 10 Apr 2007
A step in the right direction.
I have to agree with others that the showing of animal abuse on these mainstream video sharing sites is a major problem and there is certainly a strong link between children who torture animals and those who 'bully' teachers.
Posted by: Tony Blackwell 10 Apr 2007
YouTube Cyberbullies
Yes it is about time. We need to let parents know what their children are jlooking at and what they are posting - ESPECIALLY ANIMAL ABUSE VIDEOS If people abuse animals and put on the internet what will they do next? This needs to be monitored.
Posted by: Jan Allen 10 Apr 2007