Wednesday 12 May 2021: An article reporting disturbing incidents of ‘Screen Abuse’, cyberbullying, and the sharing of inappropriate videos and imagery by younger teenagers, among other anti-social behaviour, is published in the most recent edition of Heads Up, a communication of the Association of Public Boys’ Schools of South Africa (Volume 2, Issue 12, dated 10 May 2021). The article urges greater co-operation between schools and parents to minimise the risks:
Recently, a leading primary school principal was sufficiently concerned by reports of questionable behaviour by the Grade 7 group in the school to let the children’s parents know what appeared to be happening.
Most of the incidents reported occurred off-site and after hours, but the consequences are having to be dealt with at school. In this Heads Up, I am sharing some information with you all, both primary school and high school principals, about what could conceivably be happening in your school …
… What – if anything – can or should schools be doing about all of this? Are the rumours fed back to schools being embellished, or are the reported activities limited to a particular geographical area? No one can be sure, but clearly, huge vigilance is called for.
