Current Events > Teacher targeted by TikTok pedophile craze can't go back to school

(+) Yeah! (+)

Teachers have always had to expect a certain amount of stick from their pupils. Its part of the job; normally we dont grumble too much about it. Over my 14 years in the profession Ive worked across nine secondary schools, teaching history in Wales, Blackpool, and Liverpool.

Sometimes, I encountered challenging behavioural problems. Ive been told to fuck off; called an idiot and a t***. Teenagers can be aggressive, but as a teacher you cant take any of it to heart. We have to depersonalise the abuse, leaving it at the school gates at the end of the day. Normally, Im fairly good at doing that. Its an issue I discuss regularly on Teachers Talk Radio, an online radio station I help to direct.

But a week ago, that changed. I was labelled a paedophile by an anonymous TikTok user, presumably a pupil at my school. For the first time in my career I felt truly shocked and afraid.

And it appears Im not the only one. This week, the NASUWT teachers' union warned that teachers are quitting their jobs because of the latest TikTok craze, in which pupils falsely label their teachers as paedophiles or adulterers. The new phenomenon sees children posting images or videos of teachers with hashtags (a feature that lets users search for the different topics on TikTok) such as #paedo.

The tech company said it regretted the slurs and that it was proactively searching for such malicious allegations.

My own ordeal started when a senior member of staff at my school (a comprehensive in the North West) called me into a meeting, and told me that an abusive video about me had been posted online.

I went home, slightly confused, and opened my laptop. It took me about 30 seconds to find what my colleague had been talking about. On TikTok, I found a mysterious account with an anonymous username. They had posted three videos, one of which was critical of my school. The other two videos focused solely on me. The anonymous user had taken photographs from my professional Twitter account, and overlaid them with text.

One piece of text called me a nonce. Another said I touched children, asking: How many children do you touch? Thousands, millions?. With a sickening feeling, I spotted that the post had been viewed by 12,000 people. I scrolled through the comments, a sea of likes and cry-laugh emojis, some of which were posted by pupils from my school, with usernames I recognised. One of the commenters said I touched [their] shoulder. It was all very jokey and light-hearted; to them, it seemed like a big laugh. To me, it was far more serious.

Nobody wants to be labelled a paedophile. But as a teacher, it can prove career-ending. I started to worry about my future. How was I going to face my pupils on Monday morning, aware that many of them were laughing at me, and spreading terrible rumours behind my back? It might sound far-fetched, but I even started to worry about being victimised by a vigilante group.

I assume the videos were posted by a pupil, but its hard to know for sure. I racked my brain for a motive what would make a teenager target me like this? But I truly have no idea. Im a relatively strict teacher, and there are any number of things that might have turned a child against me.

I immediately reported the videos to TikTok, but they didnt act for several days, once my story had already been highlighted in the press. My school, meanwhile, reported the account to Merseyside Police, who told me the videos do not meet the threshold for further investigation. You can falsely call someone a paedophile online, it seems, with zero repercussions.

Friends and fellow teachers shared my horror. Im 36 when I started in the profession, nobody had to worry about online abuse. Bad behaviour and name-calling stayed in the classroom. Now, it can be broadcast to thousands of people within seconds.

A doctor signed me off work for stress; I havent been into school since. My contract with my current school finishes at the end of this term. I never imagined my time there would end this way but I just cant handle the fear of pupils laughing at me behind my back. In January, I start afresh, with a new job at a new school.

Hopefully, things will improve.
Policymakers worry, as they are right to, about the effect of social media on the minds of our young people. Isnt it time somebody worried about the effect its having on teachers, too?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/24/pupils-targeted-tiktok-paedophile-craze-now-cant-go-back-school/

---

Social media was a mistake

---

As a teacher, nothing frightens me more than being wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct towards my students. I have positive relationships with most of my kids, but it only takes one.

---

Thanks for copying and pasta the whole article out.

Anyways that's fucked up. There absolutely needs to be repurcussion about this kind of shit.

---

I don't use tiktok, but I've been noticing this a lot elsewhere. Here, even Just any random d-list e-celeb being accused of child abuse.

---

Send dem to juvi
---

UK is 100% set to bring in requiring an ID to go online at this rate.

What happened here is disgusting, but the Tories already want to bring this in and this will only help them do so.

Definitely needs to be consequences for this, and better policing, but just not what our government wants.
---

The only 2 T's I know of are Tic Tacs. And I'm happy of that.

---

ZMythos posted...

As a teacher, nothing frightens me more than being wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct towards my students. I have positive relationships with most of my kids, but it only takes one.

One of my teachers at my high school was a model in his spare time. Girls flocked to him and one girl would follow him around like a puppy. Someone accused him of something and he got fired over it. Then it turned out nothing happened.

I don't think he ever went back to teaching

---

Parents need to teach their kids better so shit like this doesn't happen. Kids don't think repercussions happen and when the police won't even do anything to them what are they supposed to think? Then they grow up with a sick twisted mentality. Not saying all kids are like this, but the ones who grow up taking advantage of the system to have some pull will continue to do it if nobody ever stops them. A bully will continue to bully until someone sets them straight. A gossiper will continue to gossip until they realize the consequences of their gossiping. If nothing is done, nothing will change.

I made sure to outline parents, because in this case the police aren't doing anything. But being realistic if the kid is a piece of shit saying stupid shit on tiktok odds are the parents give zero fucks because they were the same as kids and nobody taught them better. Either have the kids pay up for the consequences or the parents. I'm sure if parents got flak and were arrested for their kids actions in school there'd be a lot of corrective action for kids.

---

Kids are trash, and social media was a mistake.

---

Remember when adults did this in America not too long ago with Pizzagate? It's not just kids that don't understand that crying wolf over this makes it more difficult to stop actual child molesters.

---

Mr Hangman posted...

This isn't "an effect of social media". It's an effect of school. Teachers are prison wardens. As long as students are forced to go there against their will, you will be their enemy.

You're right. Social media is just an outlet for people to express themselves. Kids have been shit long before social media. It just makes it a lot easier for them to be shit in public.

---

Guessing this is copypasta but I wouldn't avoid going to my job because that would make you seem more suspicious.

Think this is another case of projection? That is, the student behind this particular case is actually a child molester or whatever?

---

Kid's should get arrested for this shit

Like fuck, you can't just ruin someone's life for funzies. Also sounds like a future school shooter.

---

gunplagirl posted...

Think this is another case of projection? That is, the student behind this particular case is actually a child molester or whatever?

maybe. or maybe they gets molested at home. or maybe they're just an asshole.

---

ThePrinceFish posted...

Social media was a mistake

Especially in the hands of teenagers.

Esrac posted...

Especially in the hands of teenagers.

in general. it turns grown ass adults into children after all.

---

Last week I had the equivalent of a riot happen in my classroom and had students trying to climb out the windows and run in and out of the classroom when a student took a 360 controller and swung it at a TA

The TA who then was getting mercd by a flurry of punches could only really block strikes and use their forearm to nudge the student off them while trying to contain the river of blood upon his face continuing to make sure he was at the door so they wouldnt escape - she gave up and cited that he had intentionally touched her chest

Not only did this dude need to get 3 stitches, but now he has a group of students who had all agreed and plan to back up her play

I dunno whats supposed to happen moving forward.. we couldnt exactly call the police because these kids have behavioral needs that requires counselors to be in the room studying them but we know her behavior is escalating because the week before that we chaperone held her to bring her into another room while she kept trying to bite us, kick her feet back against our shins, escape and deck us in the face

Shits cray cray

---

Well, theres a saying about smoke and fire, I didnt read or know enough about this to know whats going on, so Ill reserve my verdict or alliance if you will until you all get to the bottom of this


---

Thanks Hansen

---

Funkydog posted...

UK is 100% set to bring in requiring an ID to go online at this rate.

What happened here is disgusting, but the Tories already want to bring this in and this will only help them do so.

Definitely needs to be consequences for this, and better policing, but just not what our government wants.

Honestly I think the online ID thing isnt a bad idea. We need a way to hold trolls accountable

---

That's fucked

---

---

DJquackquack posted...

Honestly I think the online ID thing isnt a bad idea. We need a way to hold trolls accountable

We had one, it used to be extremely frowned upon to share any personal information online. That's how I was taught to treat the internet, I dunno when that changed and maybe I'm a boomer but the absolute disregard for keeping your personal information private I see all over social media nowadays shocks me.

---

Mr Hangman posted...

This isn't "an effect of social media". It's an effect of school. Teachers are prison wardens. As long as students are forced to go there against their will, you will be their enemy.

I'm genuinely sorry that your school failed you in such a dramatic way for you to feel this.

DJquackquack posted...

Honestly I think the online ID thing isnt a bad idea. We need a way to hold trolls accountable

I'm not sure putting important personal details, that people can use to fuck your life up with debt, impersonation etc in a place that will inevitably get hacked is the way to solve it. Never mind that anonymity IS important on the internet, even if people use it for shitty reasons.
---

Mr YoutubeEducation thinks schools are bad. We are all shocked. Shocked I say.

---

Man I am so glad I went to high school before smartphones and social media were really a thing. I got out right when social media started picking up

---

Mr Hangman posted...

My schools were ok, mostly. Doesn't change what they are. If you're going to tell me they're not prisons, I have one simple question: are the children free to leave?

Once they are old enough to make legal decisions for themselves, sure. Until then it's up to their parents (as are a vast many of matters) and they are always free to take them out of schools.
---

Mr Hangman posted...

My schools were ok, mostly. Doesn't change what they are. If you're going to tell me they're not prisons, I have one simple question: are the children free to leave?

I teach at a highschool and if they want to walk out the front door before school is over security isn't allowed to physically keep them there. So yes, they can and the only consequences are a phone call home.

---

Mr Hangman posted...

Until then they are prisoners.

Agreed. We need to free five years olds so they can roam free and choose where to live without the tyranny of these jailers who DARE call themselves "parents"

Pretty sick they get to call themselves that tbh.
---

Mr Hangman posted...

Are there truancy laws? Yes, there are.

Truancy laws don't do shit. My brother ditched so much in high school that my mom went to court. They pretty much told her that she has to make him go or she responds. They threatened to fine her if he doesn't and he still didn't go.

When I got to high school I knew a kid who went to that court so many times that he was probably in the court more than he was in class. Nothing ever happened to him. Also, the truancy cops would just drive you back to school and you could leave right after. Also, if they ever caught us ditching we could say "we're in this program" that got out early and they'd let you go.

it's all anecdotal but I've never seen those laws work. I went to an underfunded and understaffed high school so ditching was a common issue.

---

Gen Z was a mistake

R1masher posted...

Well, theres a saying about smoke and fire, I didnt read or know enough about this to know whats going on, so Ill reserve my verdict or alliance if you will until you all get to the bottom of this

@R1masher

Just because there's smoke doesn't mean the teacher set the fire

Hummer 2 posted...

Gen Z was a mistake

I can promise you Millenials would have done the same exact shit if social media was as prevalent.

---

wackyteen posted...

@R1masher

Just because there's smoke doesn't mean the teacher set the fire

I can promise you Millenials would have done the same exact shit if social media was as prevalent.

We did do the exact same thing. We just shared it over IM or in person. Those inclined to do this anyway.
---

cuh posted...

Students at my friends school have made multiple anonymous Instagram accounts. One of them has a bunch of teachers ass pics. Like, the students purposely take photos of their teachers ass while theyre bent down.

The kids are Not Ok

I'm 100% certain that someone with the proper know how could figure out which phone/number uploaded the photo and could trace back to whichever student is doing it. Kids (generally speaking) aren't smart enough to cover all their tracks.

At the very least the photos likely have internal timestamps as the default name for the photo and its unlikely that they changed it before upload so Insta will have that name available somewhere. Trace all that back to photographed teacher and you can sus out fairly quickly who is doing it

---

tiktok really should have been banned in the west

CADE FOSTER posted...

tiktok really should have been banned in the west

Tiktok doesn't incentivize these acts like Twitter does, the issue is that they're too many idiots on Tiktok looking for fame, most likely those who left Twitter because it's an occupational hazard and nothing is done to make it safer. Tiktok actually does not allow dangerous challenges, I just wish they catch these earlier.

Tiktok should be age gated though, as kids are abusing the service and are hurting themselves and others more than adults are.
---