Protecting Staff in the Digital Age and Keeping the Whole School Safe
| Time to read:6 minutes
When we discuss school safety, the focus is naturally on students. However, at SomeBuddy, we recognize that educators also find themselves in difficult and harmful situations online. Digital harassment of school staff is not a new issue, but it continues to evolve alongside a landscape where digital devices are an inseparable part of daily life.
As children grow, they naturally test boundaries and explore new social skills, often through the lens of the technology they use every day. Because digital tools are so present in their world, even a routine classroom moment can result in a teacher unintentionally becoming the subject of a TikTok video or a viral social media trend. It is also important to acknowledge that this digital pressure does not always come from students; in some cases, even parents or guardians can subject teachers to online harassment, which further complicates the professional environment.
While these actions may stem from a lack of digital maturity or heightened emotions, they must always be taken seriously. They directly impact trust, mental health, and the working conditions of school staff. The availability of generative AI and the speed of social media can quickly turn these moments into serious violations of privacy and professional integrity.
Common Forms of Staff Harassment
Digital interference in the workplace has become more technically accessible, leading to several persistent trends:
- AI-Generated Content and Deepfakes: Students may use AI tools to create inappropriate or embarrassing videos of teachers. This includes the use of "nudifying" apps to create derogatory or sexualized imagery..
- Unauthorized Filming: A long-standing trend involves students filming teachers without consent during lessons or recess. These clips can be shared with other students or uploaded to platforms like TikTok.
- Anonymous Gossip Accounts: Anonymous accounts such as school-specific gossip pages are used to spread rumors, derogatory comments, and falsehoods about the personal lives of staff members.
- Parental Pressure on Social Media: Occasionally, parents or guardians may share frustrations about school matters in for example local Facebook groups or community forums. While often intended as a way to voice concerns, these public discussions can unintentionally lead to hurtful comments or misinformation directed at individual teachers. This highlights the importance of maintaining direct and constructive communication channels between home and school to protect the well-being of the entire community.
The Impact on Workplace Safety
This behavior is a workplace safety issue that affects the educator’s well-being and the school’s learning environment. When an educator faces this kind of harassment, it can seriously take a toll on their well-being. Common psychological effects include being unable to stop thinking about the incident, which can lead to disrupted sleep, emotional exhaustion, stress and burnout. When these incidents occur, the mutual respect required for a functioning classroom is compromised.
How Schools Can Address Digital Harm
Prevention and clear structures are the most effective ways to protect staff. We recommend that schools establish firm protocols so that no educator has to navigate a crisis alone:
- Clear Response Protocols: Schools need a documented plan identifying who manages parent communication, how students are addressed, and what specific support the staff member receives. This ensures the gravity of the situation is recognized and the teacher feels fully backed by their institution.
- Modern School Rules for a Digital World: Establishing firm boundaries regarding unauthorized recording and digital threats is essential. A clear policy ensures that digital incidents are treated with the same seriousness as physical ones, protecting professional respect for everyone.
- Continuous Preventative Education: Students must understand that digital actions have real-world consequences. We must teach that seeking affirmation through "likes" should never come at the expense of another person’s dignity.
- Fostering a Culture of Digital Ethics: Beyond rules, schools should cultivate an environment where privacy and respect are non-negotiable. Integrating online safety topics and ethical discussions into the curriculum helps students view teachers as individuals deserving of the same digital boundaries they want for themselves.
Adult Leadership and the Path to Digital Maturity
Ultimately, fostering a safe school environment requires proactive and consistent adult leadership. While young people are often labeled digital natives, technical proficiency is not the same as emotional or ethical maturity. We cannot assume that students instinctively know how to navigate the complexities of the online world or fully grasp the long-term consequences of their digital actions.
As adults, both as educators and parents, our role is to act as guides who share the knowledge and values necessary for digital life. This is not about monitoring every click, but about providing a clear framework for behavior and standing together when that framework is breached. By demonstrating active leadership, we set the standard for what is acceptable and ensure that victims of harassment are never left to handle the fallout in isolation.
In this partnership, the roles are clear. The responsibility of adults is to provide continuous education, set firm boundaries, and offer a clear sense of direction. The responsibility of students is to follow common guidelines rooted in behavior, safety, and mutual respect. Consistency is key: when we lead with clarity, we help students transition from being mere users of technology to becoming responsible and empathetic digital citizens.
At SomeBuddy, we recognize how challenging it is to stay current with digital trends while developing lessons that address such complex issues. To support you, we provide hands-on guidance and educational materials designed to lighten the load for educators and foster a safe, positive school climate. Additionally, we provide a trusted and anonymous reporting channel, ensuring that everyone in the school community has a secure way to voice concerns. Our team also assists in resolving incidents by taking down harmful or illegal materials directly from digital platforms.
TIP! Read our full annual report to learn more about the digital landscape and the cases we handled in 2025. Understanding these risks is one of the best ways to stay prepared and protected.
English: https://www.somebuddy.com/schools/annual-reports/
Finnish: https://www.someturva.fi/schools/annual-reports/
Swedish: https://www.somebuddy.se/schools/annual-reports/
We hope you enjoyed this newsletter. For more information about SomeBuddy and our mission to help keep our users safe in online spaces you can visit our website.
Also - if you have any questions, thoughts or perhaps suggestions for our next newsletter, please reach out to me at essi@somebuddy.com
Stay safe online!
Essi Alho, Head of Nordics, SomeBuddy
Kaisa Rissanen, Head of Legal and Operations, SomeBuddy