Facebook abuse by parents

[jmak]

Hi

 

We have found that some parents have been posting derogatory comments about our school and some individual teachers on Facebook. At the Heads' networking meeting yesterday, it was discussed that this is a common problem locally. Is anyone aware of a way that we can automatically monitor Facebook posts to track such abuse?

 

We already have an AUP for staff and Governors and they are regularly reminded of their responsibilities. We are also planning to include something in our home-school agreement next year, but we would like to find out about comments when they are made, so that we can take action.

 

Thanks in advance.

[6Foot2]

...Is anyone aware of a way that we can automatically monitor Facebook posts to track such abuse?...

 

You could try setting up a Google alert that looks for a few keywords? [your school name with another search term to narrow the results]

 

Link: Google Alerts - Monitor the Web for interesting new content

 

Is there a single webpage where this is posted? If so you could try setting up an RSS feed to look for changes in that page and let you know when they occur.

 

Not sure if either of these will work but they might be worth a look?

[AngryTechnician]

When this has happened with us it's normally in closed Facebook groups which are not indexed by search engines, or on individual walls. If that's the case, the only way you're going to find out about it is through the grapevine or if someone with access tells you directly.

 

If the comments are accessible publicly, use the reporting feature and quote which part of FB's ToS it violates back to them in the report. It's not terribly effective even when you can use it, but there's little else you can do. Legally I don't think you can't impose contractual terms on parents that restrict public criticism, even when it's nasty, so you don't have much legal recourse unless it amounts to libel/slander.

[Geoff]

If it's something you can demonstrate isn't true your LEA's lawyers can send a nastygram citing the libel laws. Bit of a nuclear option though.

[BassTech]

Change the privacy settings so no-one can comment on the page's posts?

[JJonas]

Change the privacy settings so no-one can comment on the page's posts?

 

I dont think that setting exists. All you can do is delete posts and ban the postee.

[BassTech]

I dont think that setting exists. All you can do is delete posts and ban the postee.

 

I'm sure you can do it, I've just set up a page myself and restricted it so it's effectively read-only.

[JJonas]

I'm sure you can do it, I've just set up a page myself and restricted it so it's effectively read-only.

 

In that case, tell me how?

 

Can you post a screenshot of your settings?

[RichCowell]

If the abuse is happening on the official page that you control - You can specify words which cause posts to be automatically flagged as spam - doesn't delete them, but hides them from public view and you can see see who's saying what, then take the appropriate action...

[BassTech]

In that case, tell me how?

 

Can you post a screenshot of your settings?

 

Here you go:

 

[AngryTechnician]

There are no settings on that page that stop others from comment on posts the page owner makes. The only thing you can stop is other people making new posts altogether, which is what you've done. Ours is set up exactly like that, and if the school makes a post, others can comment on it.

[jmak]

Thanks everyone - I can't believe how quickly people respond in this forum. Much as I feared - the comments are on walls and private group, so therefore not indexed (although I Sergey Brin is working on that). We'll have to rely on the grapevine. Being an infant school, a lot of staff are FB friends with parents - another can of worms.

 

Looks like I'll have to join FB myself to try and keep a watch.

[BassTech]

There are no settings on that page that stop others from comment on posts the page owner makes. The only thing you can stop is other people making new posts altogether, which is what you've done. Ours is set up exactly like that, and if the school makes a post, others can comment on it.

 

Ah ok, thanks for that.

 

Why can't facebook just make things simple and straight-forward???

[elsiegee40]

With regard to staff being friends with parents on facebook, you need to address that in your AUP/Staff code of conduct and cover it with training. That's what we do.

 

The training is about staff protecting their professional reputation... when you put it from the point of view of them not making a career-ending mistake they seem to be happy to deal with it in my experience as a trainer!