‘Different world’: Parents in the dark as principals forced to deal with sinister incidents

Principals have become responsible in dealing with the fallout of cyber-bullying incidents that are happening between students often at 2am in bedrooms.

Queensland principals are spending mornings brokering peace talks between conflicting students involved in weekend cyber-bullying attacks that are threatening to explode in school.

Principals have become responsible in dealing with the fallout of cyber-bullying incidents that are happening between students often at 2am in bedrooms.

Many parents are completely in the dark to the conversations had between children which can range from name calling to threats and incidents of a more sinister, including sexual, nature.

Others can be flat out in denial that their children are capable of sending such harmful material and only convinced through photographic or screenshots as evidence.

While the state government’s mobile phone ban comes into play from Monday, experts say parents must do more to prevent cyber-bullying happening at home.

Queensland Secondary School Principals Association president Mark Breckenridge said the cyber-bullying attacks at home had the potential to “play out” in the school setting.

“It might start by a dislike between students, turns into tit for tat name calling or of a threatening nature. You can have incidents of students sending images which can be inappropriate or of a sexual nature. That’s something we are seeing,” Mr Breckenridge said.

“It’s concerning from a student safety perspective.

“It can be very time consuming for principals to resolve issues that begin out of school hours and are brought inside the school gates.”

Queensland Secondary School Principals Association president Mark Breckenridge. Picture: Josh Woning.

Mr Breckenridge revealed many parents were shocked that their children were sending such harmful messages to classmates - while others were in denial.

He said parent and carer engagement in resolving the issues was critical.

“You get some parents who had no awareness of what’s happened during the night, they’re quite shocked and open and usually parents of the perpetrator,” he said.

“Parents of the target are very concerned and will look for reassurance from the school that their child will be safe at school.

“There are some cases where parents who are unaware of the incidents do not believe their child is capable, and that’s why screenshots are so important as evidence to provide a factual basis to a conversation.”

Mr Breckenridge said it became more complicated for principals when the offenders were from different schools but he said the leaders were well connected.

Former Education Minister Grace Grace said the reality of children having 24/7 connection to the digital world had proved a huge challenge for schools.

“I talk to principals who say their Monday morning is virtually ‘oh Johnnie texted James as an example’, and they’re dealing with the fallout of what’s happened on the weekend, it’s a different world,” she said in an exclusive Sunday-Mail interview.

A Department of Education spokesman said the behaviour of students extended to the online environment and that schools worked with students about the appropriate use of technology.

“Parents and carers have an important role to play in monitoring their children’s behaviour on the internet,” the spokesman said. “Students and families are encouraged to report any incidents of inappropriate behaviour including online behaviour to their school.”

Originally published as ‘Different world’: Parents in the dark as principals forced to deal with sinister incidents