Taking gadgets to school increases bullying risk

Allowing children to bring mobile phones and laptops to school could increase the risk of high-tech bullying and other 'e-safety' risks.

Breaches of e-safety - the risks associated with the use of new technologies - are more likely in schools which allow pupils to bring their own devices, such as laptops, portable storage devices and mobile phones, according to the report commissioned by schools IT agency Becta.

For example, mobile phone bullying is more common and more frequent if kids take their handsets to school. Schools should consider what equipment is allowed on site, the report said. Other e-safety risks include accessing inappropriate websites and plagiarism.

The report warned: "Educational establishments may be inadvertently increasing their exposure to breaches of e-safety and be compounding the risks pupils face as a result of the lack of clarity around personal equipment use."

It added: "Permitting the use of certain equipment or devices may increase risk. Therefore, educational establishments may need to develop new approaches to monitoring the appropriate use of such technologies on their premises."

Teachers also said they need more advice on how to deal with the viewing of unsuitable online material as well as bullying via chat rooms, email and websites.

The report found that having a designated internet safety co-ordinator and an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) better equips teachers to deal with problems associated with new technology. And where pupils were taught about e-safety, breaches were reduced.

But half of schools lack an e-safety co-ordinator and many have not reviewed their AUPs recently. For example, not all usage policies cover emerging technologies.

Ruth Hammond, e-safety project manager at Becta, said in a statement: "Information and communications technologies have a fundamental role to play in achieving the changes which will be required to ensure the safety and welfare of children within the digital world."

The research carried out by the University of Central Lancashire was based on a survey of 444 schools.