Shalom College students involved in rating games prior to student suicide

A Courier-Mail investigation has revealed former classmates of a girl who tragically took her own life had used social media accounts to rate and slur their peers.

Former Shalom Catholic College student Isla Marschke took her own life last week.

Former classmates of a teenage girl who took her own life after years of bullying have posted on social media pages used to “rate” their peers in the months leading to the tragic death.

A social media investigation by The Courier-Mail revealed some students Shalom Catholic College in Bundaberg had engaged in activities such as rating their peers online.

Last week a former student, Isla Marschke, 14, took her own life after years of bullying, with her closest friends now calling for an end to classroom and cyber bullying.

Just a few months ago an account dedicated to showcasing “cuties” at the school posted nine videos, highlighting the “hottest” students.

Accounts rating the “finest” students appear throughout TikTok. Picture: TikTok

In one video, on girl is featured and is described as the “prettiest year seven” student. Shortly before Isla took her life, one of her friends uploaded a series of photos with the caption, “Don’t be the reason someone hates the way they look”.

She has since posted a tribute to Isla, telling her friends it is never “weak to speak.”

Another friend of Isla’s posted a touching tribute, revealing Isla had made plans to watch a show with her friend the following day, while describing her regret in being unable to help the teenager.

“I already miss you so much, Isla, and it’s been so damn hard without you by my side. Your smile and laughter was everything. We were meant to binge-watch Outer Banks together tomorrow, remember,” the tribute read.

“I will forever miss you and can’t wait to see you up in heaven, please make the skies pretty just like yourself every time I look up I will think of you. I knew you were going through tough times but didn’t know it was so bad, I’m so sorry. I should have been there for you, but I wasn’t please forgive me gorgeous girl you will be forever missed.

“I miss her, I should have noticed that she was struggling.”

Accounts that play guessing games can accidentally describe the subject in a derogatory way. Picture: TikTok

Despite sending content removal requests, Shalom Catholic College Principal Dan McMahon has said if harmful content was not reported it was difficult to find.

“We are aware that young people do use social media as a tool for personal and social gratification. This is evident in posts/groups/pages that potentially draw out rating and comparison,” he said.

“When they have been reported to us, we investigate them thoroughly and follow the online procedures to have them removed, if the creator cannot be identified. If the creator is identified, then we work with them in both reprimand and restoration. It’s really hard for us to respond to issues like that if no one reports them.”

A TikTok account belonging to a student also featured a video with the hashtag “#fakeeverything” and “#fakebody”. Just a few weeks earlier, the student uploaded a photo of themselves appearing to suck in their stomach as they stared into a mirror.

In June, an account named “Shalom’s Finest” reposted a dancing video uploaded by students at the school, while earlier this year, videos with the “hottest” students at the school were uploaded, asking viewers to tag the people featured on the account.

A 2023 account uploaded the “finest” and the “hottest” girls by taking screenshots of their TikTok accounts. Another 2023 account described a student as someone that thinks they are an “eshay.” A third 2023 account tagged the “finest Shalom girls”.

Accounts rating students can be extremely harmful. Picture: TikTok

Mr McMahon said it was close to impossible to request social media behemoths such as TikTok remove harmful content.

“Asking TikTok to remove negative content seems to be completely futile. Social Media platforms make it very difficult to remove content – you’ve got to love those who just love ‘free speech’ and get horrified that anyone should impinge upon the rights of trolls and others to spew hate and disinformation,” he said.

Students from the college have asked people to rate them on a scale of one to ten. Picture: TikTok

“As an educational establishment, our primary responsibility is on education and support. Very often now, schools are being asked to respond to so many issues that, very often, occur when young people are in the care of their families. We come under enormous scrutiny about our handling of all issues which are essentially a microcosm of society.”

One ‘guess who’ account describes a person as an “eshay.” Picture: TikTok

Despite the pressure placed on schools, Mr McMahon believes that social and moral aspects should be interwoven into the curriculum with parent and community support.

“We work enormously hard to create a culture here where students arrive at school every day and can have an expectation that they will be treated respectfully – by everyone,” he said.

Students have uploaded content showing inappropriate poses, tagging the videos with #fakebody. Picture: TikTok

“However all schools face the difficulties placed upon us through social media and poor choices made by all stakeholders in any one particular community, this includes the parents, local media and community members who are all, at times, irresponsible in their public commentary of issues. You can ask TikTok to remove negativity, it will then turn up somewhere else.”

Some ‘guess who’ accounts are viewed by thousands of people on social media. Picture: TikTok

Two months ago, The Courier-Mail uncovered more than 60 schools implicated in a student rating scandal on TikTok, with experts speaking out against teenagers accessing social media.

Queensland neuroscientist Selena Bartlett said adolescent brains are only starting to develop in their early teens, and it’s impossible for preteens and teenagers to truly comprehend the danger of what they are uploading to social media.

“Adolescent brains are already crazy because of hormonal changes,” she said.

“The reason things are much worse in 2024 compared to 2023 is because the nature of AI and recommendation systems, will feed a bubble of information that is the same.”