British Schools Crack Down on 'Cyberbullying'

England's education chief wants schools to put their digital foot down when it comes to “cyberbullying.” The schools should confiscate mobile phones when necessary and pull down hurtful material from websites, the BBC reports. The schools chief called cyberbullying a particularly “insidious” form of abuse because it follows students home.

In devising its new policies, schools talked with tech companies such as Bebo, Myspace, and YouTube. They warned that bystanders could perpetuate bullying just by passing on  videos and messages. Students aren’t the only victims. Teachers say distorted images taken on phone cameras can “destroy teacher confidence.” They want cell phones categorized as “offensive weapons” and banned from schools. (More education stories.)