Bay schools take action to prevent Yik Yak use

Russell Gordon says he was immediately concerned about Yik Yak's potential to be used for cyber bullying. Photo / John Borren

A mobile app that allows users to post anonymous messages publicly online to people within a 16km radius has already resulted in cyber bullying in Tauranga.

Some schools have now blocked it from their internet networks.

Yik Yak - which allows users to "share your thoughts and keep your privacy" - has come under fire across the world for providing bullies a non-accountable way to attack people.

Tauranga principals say education is the only way to stop cyber bullying because each new social media provides another channel for bullies.

Mount Maunganui College principal Russell Gordon heard of the app about two weeks ago and was immediately concerned about its potential to be used for cyber bullying.

He noticed pupils had downloaded the app through their home iTunes and set out to find out what it was.

The fact that users could post anonymously meant it would be easy for students to use it negatively.

"The potential for good is there but equally the potential for harm is equally apparent." Mr Gordon acted quickly and was told staff had already spoken to senior students and, last week, it was blocked on the school's network so students could not use it at school. "I won't allow any child to be harmed by this particular app," he said. "I'm frustrated and annoyed that an app could be used negatively."

Mr Gordon said students could possibly still access it at school using their own data on smart devices.

The school had not yet come across any instances of the app being used for bullying, he said.

Te Puke High School deputy principal David Crone had already dealt with a couple of incidents of bullying on the app, speaking to the students involved and their families. The school had also banned the app from the school internet network, he said.

Otumoetai Intermediate principal Henk Popping agreed Yik Yak was a concern. It had been blocked to pupils using their school internet network.

Western Bay of Plenty Principals Association president Dane Robertson first heard of the app yesterday and said the best defence for the growing number of ways for young people to communicate online was just teaching them to be good people - offline and online.

Children were turning up to pre-school knowing how to use smart devices now so digital responsibility was just part of their lives, he said.

PPTA national president Angela Roberts said teachers had been targets of the online bullying just as much as students and were approaching the PPTA for advice on how to manage it.

The app was causing "some really damaging stuff" across the country. "The social media space is damaging enough without something where people can post anonymously," she said. "Some of the stories we're getting are not very pretty at all."

Banning the app was only a short-term fix because new apps would come along and replace Yik Yak so she said the key was to educate children on their use of social media. The Harmful Digital Communications Bill would also help to send a clear message when it became law.