24 January 2012
What happened?
Anonymous allegations of a sexual nature about a teacher were posted on a social networking site, allegedly by a former student. Their line manager was supportive but was expected to manage the allegations as serious and credible.
The teacher was not a member of a teaching union so they contacted the Professionals Online Safety Helpline, run by the UK Safer Internet Centre.
The Professionals Online Safety Helpline liaised with the investigating police officer, signposted the teacher to appropriate support, such as counselling and legal services, and also assisted them in removing the online allegations.
What should I do if this happens to me?
- Report the matter immediately to your line manager and determine whether the police should be contacted at this stage.
- Accept that the school must follow safeguarding procedures, which may include your suspension. This is as much to protect you while the incident is being investigated. It is also likely that the police will be involved.
- Seek support from your teaching union (if you are a member of one) or another appropriate source, such as the Professionals Online Safety Helpline.
- Do not attempt to remove the content yourself and, if you suspect who might be responsible for the content, do not make contact with them. If the police are involved, this should be their responsibility.
- Take screen shots of any written allegations for your own reference.
- If you believe you know who is responsible, do not retaliate. Co-operate with the investigation and share this information with the appropriate person.
- When the investigation has been completed, ensure that any online profiles you have are adequately secure and check your digital footprint regularly (by typing your name in search engines) so that you can manage any future incidents quickly. You can find further information on how to protect yourself online on the Childnet website.