Instagram shuts down account dedicated to shocking brawls at Wirreanda Secondary School

Social media giant Instagram has cracked down on SA students sharing brutal fights online, including one targeting a student with autism.

Social media giant Instagram has cracked down on South Australian school students after vicious fight videos were shared online.

Private security guards were deployed to Wirreanda Secondary School after footage of a brawl involving a number of students with complex needs was shared to Instagram.

An account on the social media platform had been dedicated to fights and brawls at Wirreanda, appearing to ‘call out’ for footage to be submitted.

Parents said that at the height of the school’s violence last month up to 10 security guards were patrolling the grounds at any one time, even inside the toilets.

However, the Department of Education has strongly refuted these claims.

The Advertiser can reveal that one account has been since shut down by Instagram for breaching its bullying and harassment policy, while another had a number of videos removed.

“Bullying isn’t allowed on Instagram, and we encourage anyone to report this kind of content so we can review and take appropriate action,” a Meta spokesman said.

Appalling schoolyard violence in the southern suburbs has seen the police called in and security guards deployed. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

Instagram has cracked down on the shocking videos. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

“In this case, we have removed one of the accounts for repeatedly breaching our bullying and harassment policies.”

Wirreanda Secondary School principal Natalie Maddern said the school had a zero-tolerance policy towards violence or bullying with “the wellbeing of our students and staff at the forefront of our policies”.

“From time to time the school has become aware of social media sites which contain inappropriate material allegedly involving students from the school,” Ms Maddern said.

“When identified those items are reported to the platform involved, and we encourage students and families to also report inappropriate content.”
The Education Department said the incident occurred on May 26 and that police were called to the school to investigate.

A girl was arrested over a sickening attack which played out in front of stunned students at Whyalla Secondary School. Picture: 7NEWS

SA schools are increasingly hiring private security guards to protect students and staff from violence and threatening behaviour.

A spokeswoman for Education Minister Blair Boyer said there had been “an increase in static guard use at schools in relation to issues involving violence or a threat of violence” between the second half of last year and this year to the end of May.

In May, a girl was arrested over a shocking stomping video, in which a student was attacked at Whyalla Secondary College.

The video sparked outrage and revelations schoolyard violence was worse now than before Covid, with attacks at a three-year high.