Telford named as 'baiting out' video hotspot
Telford has been named as a hotspot for the making of videos uploaded onto the internet where youngsters are encouraged to name and shame friends they consider to be promiscuous or disloyal.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has condemned so-called "baiting out" videos, which are receiving hundreds of thousands of views online.
Some of the people producing them are even being paid because of the traffic generated, the NSPCC said.
Alan Wardle, from the NSPCC, said the videos were being made primarily in London, but also in Telford and Birmingham. He said they were a form of cyber-bullying.
"The children in these videos are teenagers, many of whom are worrying about their own development and their own sexuality," Mr Wardle said.
"For this material to be on the internet, and for people they don't even know to see it, is deeply distressing."
A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police said the force had received no complaints about such videos and so was unable to take any action on them.
A survey published today by teachers' union NASUWT has found that 50 per cent of teachers know of pupils who have used social media to share material of a sexual nature. A quarter said they knew of students involved in "sexting" who were just 11.
There are a number of YouTubers making baiting out videos. YouTube has said in cases where graphic content is uploaded, it is careful to apply warnings and age restrictions to safeguard people using the site.
Earlier this month two Shropshire colleges moved to ban the use of new social media app Yik Yak on the grounds it was "inappropriate".
North Shropshire College and Shrewsbury College said the app gave students the opportunity to "intimidate and bully" others.
The creators of the app say their mission is to let people connect and make friends with people in their area – but many young people have reported a darker side to the app, as it has been used by some people to insult and slur their peers.
A report by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Children's Bureau
found that more than half of headteaachers (55 per cent) had seen a large increase in students suffering from anxiety and stress in the last five years, while more than 40 per cent said there had been a big increase in cyber bullying.
