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A tech-terrified teachers' union has called for websites like YouTube to be closed to stop cyberbullying.
While the likelihood of Google closing its massively popular social networking site, which it paid over $2 billion for last year, is slim to say the least, the British Professional Association of Teachers backed a motion to shut down YouTube, and other sites.
At its annual conference in Harrogate, England, union members supported the closure of video-sharing websites to stop cyberbullying of both teachers and students.
Kirsti Paterson told the conference that no-one was safe from cyberbullies.
"This can range from texting threatening messages, using camera and videophones to take pictures without permission," she said.
"These have been known to be posted on the You Tube website. Access to Internet sites like Rate My Teacher are being used by pupils to make hurtful and offensive comments about school staff."
She described instances of assaults being filmed on mobile phones and then being posted on websites.
In New Zealand last week, 18-year-old Flaxmere youth Jerry Putaranui became the third to be convicted following a mass assault on a schoolboy that was filmed and uploaded to YouTube.
Paterson told the PAT conference cyberbullying could "carry on 24/7 through mobile phones and in multiple forms online".
Catriona Tait backed Paterson's motion, adding that the technologies available to students were also to blame.
"Their presence has a more sinister use and, with the advent of such technologies, cyber bullying came into being, a new and, if possible, more terrifying means of intimidation," she said.
"We should not be expected to keep quiet about this, in fact we as a profession must show that we will not tolerate cyber bullying of any kind towards any member of society. We demand the closure of such sites encouraging this irresponsible use of technology."
