Social Media In Schools - Managing The Risk And Reward

The unstoppable rise of social media has resulted in countless headlines over the past few years, both in and out of the workplace. Whether it be tweeting an *innocent face* or a breeding ground for salacious gossip, the use of social media - and particularly Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger (BBM) - has become entrenched in our everyday lives.

Twitter now has more than 500 million registered users worldwide generating around 500 million unregulated tweets per day. Facebook has more than 1.1 billion active users worldwide (and an Oscar winning film under its belt).

With statistics like these, there is more than a chance that a large proportion of the school community will be sharing their lives, thoughts, photos, videos and opinions with anyone who shows the slightest interest. Establishing clear guidelines and parameters for the use of social media within the school environment is, therefore, crucial. However, schools' social media policies vary widely, with some schools not having a policy at all to others having clearly defined rules in this area which include, for example, a prohibition on teachers becoming friends with pupils on Facebook.

According to a recent study, more than 1 in 10 teachers accused of misconduct last year had used social networking sites and email to establish inappropriate relationships with pupils.

The use of social networking sites in cases of cyber-bullying is also increasing. According to statistics released by the NSPCC in November 2011, 38% of young people have been affected by cyber-bullying.

Statistics such as these mean that the benefits of using social media may be overlooked. However, the growing trend presents a unique opportunity to put across a positive image of a school in the local community as well as providing an efficient way of sharing information, knowledge and best practice with teachers, parents, pupils and governors.

Used properly by schools, social media can provide positive and valuable ways of enhancing teaching methods, information sharing and marketing processes. For example, Facebook could be used to share information with parents about school trips or to follow the progress of a particular sports team's tour.

But as well as opportunities there are a growing number of unique challenges presented by social media. For example, legal liabilities can arise from the use of social media by members of staff (whether related to the school community or in private) or indeed, in some...