STATEMENT ON MISUSE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS

06 February 2007

PAT Scotland has welcomed Glasgow City Council's initiative to encourage all schools in the city to formulate a policy on the misuse of mobile phones with camera and video capabilities by pupils. 

PAT Professional Officer (Scotland) Jim O’Neill said: "PAT hopes that the authority will back each individual school and its policy.

"PAT Scotland encourages other authorities to copy this initiative. 

"Some of the stories we are hearing about the misuse of such phones are extremely disturbing and we feel that this is something society in general should also be very concerned about."

At it 2005 Annual Conference, PAT members voted unanimously in favour of the motion “Conference deplores the use of the term ‘happy slapping’ to describe what is either assault or a glorified form of bullying, and calls on all in positions of power or influence to support schools in their attempts to stamp out bullying in all its forms.”