Renfrewshire teachers 'traumatised' over AI social posts of them

The actions are said to have caused “great distress” among staff as content is often “humiliating, offensive and violent” and sometimes “sexual” in nature.

Some have been absent from work because of the “trauma” experienced as a result, according to information included in a paper to the Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers on Tuesday.

It said: “Renfrewshire SSTA [Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association] members recently reported that pupils have been abusing social media by creating fake accounts using the names of teaching staff and generating AI videos of teachers.

“These actions have caused great distress to teachers as they are often humiliating, offensive, violent and (sometimes) sexual in nature.”

The report urged management to explore how it can protect and support teachers who are “innocent targets of the degrading treatment” outlined.

It also called on Renfrewshire Council to work with teacher unions and the Scottish Government to develop guidance on the issue.

Councillor Gillian Graham, Labour group education spokesperson, said she was “appalled” by the reports. She added: “This behaviour is deeply concerning and must not be dismissed as harmless online activity.

“Teachers have the right to feel safe, respected and supported in their workplaces. Those responsible for online abuse and impersonation must face clear and serious consequences and education management must work closely with the police to ensure this happens.

“I recognise that this is not a localised issue. The misuse of social media and emerging AI technologies is creating new and serious risks for school staff, both in and out of the classroom.

“Whoever is appointed Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills after the election must make addressing this issue a priority.

“The Scottish Government must work in partnership with trade unions and local authorities to develop clear, effective national guidance to tackle online abuse, impersonation and the misuse of digital and AI technologies.”

The council said it “condemns” any online abuse directed towards its staff, with a spokesperson adding: “We already have robust policies in place around violence and aggression, acceptable use of ICT and mobile phone use in school, and any breach of these will be dealt with appropriately.

“While the nature of social media platforms makes online abuse a difficult issue to manage across society, we will always do what we can to protect our staff and will continue to work with teaching unions and any other group to consider how best to do that.”

The Scottish Government said schools should be “safe and consistent learning environments for everyone” and pointed out the “vast majority” of pupils behave well. A spokesperson added: “Whilst regulatory responsibility for social media lies with the UK Government, ministers have been clear that providers have a responsibility to enforce their own policies on harmful online content.

“The Scottish Government has also engaged with UK ministers and Ofcom to strengthen online protections for children in the Online Safety Act 2023 and will continue to keep the effectiveness of these measures under review.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “Under the Online Safety Act, platforms have duties to proactively tackle illegal online abuse, including harassment – even where that content is AI-generated.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Under the Online Safety Act, tech firms must assess the risk of people in the UK encountering illegal content on their platforms, take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of UK users encountering it and take it down quickly when they become aware of it.

“They are also accountable for ensuring sites, platforms and apps are safer for the children who use them.

“It can be illegal to create or share non-consensual intimate images, including sexual deepfakes created with AI and individuals who commit criminal offences online can face prosecution by law enforcement.”