Psychologist, police warn of irresponsible social media use following Sacred Heart bashing

Ramifications from the shocking assault filmed at Sacred Heart have been revealed amid calls to stamp out violence in schools.

At least two students linked to a vicious assault on another pupil at Sacred Heart College last week have been suspended, it can be revealed.

The revelation comes after a leading psychologist questioned whether schools are doing enough to teach young people how to use social media responsibly.

The Geelong Advertiser understand the two girls, a Year 8 and Year 9 student, have been suspended amid a school investigation into the incident.

Sacred Heart refused to comment further on the attack on Monday.

However an email from principal Anna Negro to school families and leaked to the Geelong Advertiser revealed the site security had been audited following the attack.

“The college site security has also been audited to ensure we continue to maintain and enhance the safety of our campus,” she said in the email, seen by the Geelong Advertiser.

The assault on Tuesday was filmed and shared over social media.

“Please be assured we will remain vigilant in this space.”

Police were called to the school after a student was attacked at the school on Tuesday during lunchtime.

It was filmed and shared on social media.

The Geelong Advertiser understands two Sacred Heart students solicited the services of a student from the another school to come and attack the victim.

It’s understood the Sacred Heart students have been suspended.

It’s also understood the victim did not know the attacker.

The video shows a person dressed in all black, believed to have attended government school Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, punching another person multiple times in the schoolyard of Sacred Heart.

An incident of a 13-year-old year 8 student being allegedly assaulted at Geelong High School in April was filmed and allegedly shared on Snapchat.

Police cautioned a 12-year-old girl for unlawful assault in relation to the incident.

A string of criminal offences were recorded in Geelong schools last year.

Ms Negro said “further learning” on the school’s student expectations and mobile devices policies would be ongoing, “to ensure our young people use their devices in a safe and responsible way”.

It comes as a leading developmental psychologist questioned whether schools are doing enough to teach young people how to use social media responsibly.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the distribution of the video via social media “amplifies the humiliation” for the victim.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said emotional regulation was not young people’s strong point. Picture: Jesse Marlow

Sacred Heart did not respond when asked if the victim was being offered counselling.

“We know that this type of experience can result in a mixture of anxiety, depression and in some instances self harm,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

He said emotional regulation for young people was not their “strong point.”

“They haven’t been taught anger management or conflict resolution yet,” he said.

“There needs to be a clarion call around whether we are doing enough in our schools to teach young people the social and emotional competences and whether we are doing enough to use social media in a safe, smart and responsible way.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers from Geelong discouraged the sharing of any footage across social media “relating to any ongoing criminal investigation”, and that evidence obtained should be forwarded to police or Crime Stoppers.

“Geelong police actively work with all schools in the Geelong region to educate students around the proper use of social media, incorporating education surrounding bullying and other anti-social behaviour,” she said.

“If you have been a victim of an assault or have witnessed an assault, the matter should be reported immediately.”

A spokesman for the eSafety Commissioner, Australia’s independent regulator for online safety, said violent content shared on social media should be immediately reported to reduce the risks of “copycat videos that can result in serious, even fatal, injuries.”

Dr Carr-Gregg urged both parents and schools to use this incident as a “teachable moment.”

“I think young people are a little bit sick and tired of being told what to do … a more constructive approach is to simply ask them whether or not they have heard of the incident and what they thought and use that as the beginning of a discussion,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

“It’s important we have a conversation with the perpetrator so they understand that what they did was … clearly unacceptable.”

Originally published as Psychologist, police warn of irresponsible social media use following Sacred Heart bashing