Bullying, death threats, child pornography: At a high school, students have become victims of vicious attacks via WhatsApp.
Fürstenfeldbruck – In the supposed anonymity of the Internet, disturbing scenes have taken place at the Viscardi-Gymnasium in Fürstenfeldbruck in recent weeks. Children were added to a group of the short message service and in it they were savagely insulted, insulted and even threatened with death. Chats escalated into a veritable chase against a student. But that's not all: some students were also sent child pornography images. This is evident from a letter to parents, with which the school informs guardians about the events.
Attacks from outside?
Headmaster Walter Zellmeier is shocked. In school life, bullying or threats are not an issue at Viscardi. The situation is different in virtual space. Unfortunately, this phenomenon occurs again and again there. In the current case, the headmaster suspects that the attacks come from outside the school. Of course, you don't get to see everything that's going on there.
Zellmeier also sees the parents as responsible. "Most students shouldn't be in these chats at all," says the educator. WhatsApp, for example, may only be used from the age of 16. Often, however, fifth-graders are already there.
However, the activities of the offspring in virtual space can also quickly have tangible consequences for the parents in the real world. If criminal content is sent, it is often automatically stored on the mobile phone. If this is registered to the parents, they can quickly be targeted by the judiciary. In the current case at the Viscardi-Gymnasium, however, it is apparently not yet so far. The Bruck police are not aware of any charges in this context.
School focuses above all on prevention
However, the school is not responsible for this, says Walter Zellmeier. Parents would have to file a complaint if their child was threatened or if criminal content such as child pornography was sent.
However, the school does not remain idle. There, the main focus is on prevention. "In various projects on everyday life and media literacy, the problem is explained. " And the school always has an open ear."
The parents' council is also involved in the issue. Its chairman Inka Pavlov also suspects that the attacks come from outside the school family. "We are actually proud of the fact that bullying is not an issue at our school," says Pavlov. In order to educate parents about the phenomena on the Internet, the advisory board organizes events again and again. Pavlov also advises calling in the police in the event of potentially criminal incidents.
A ban on smartphones is considered pointless by both the school and the parents' council. "We have to point out responsible use," says Inka Pavlov.
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