What exactly are these Gossip Girl accounts?

The series Gossip Girl follows the story of a group of young people who are stalked online by an anonymous blogger who calls themselves Gossip Girl. The blogger posts blogs about the teenagers in which no one is spared and their deepest secrets end up on the internet. Gossip Girl receives anonymous tips from classmates of the group of teenagers. Although Gossip Girl is essentially one person, multiple students at the school contribute to the problem.

Such an account can have a huge impact on the people targeted by the gossip and rumors. In the Volkskrant, Sara Pabian calls it a form of cyberbullying. Pabian has been researching cyberbullying since 2011. In addition to the impact on the victims of the gossip, Stichting School & Veiligheid emphasizes the effect it has on the social safety of everyone at the school. The rumors spread quickly, which means that anyone could suddenly become the next target.

What can you do if such an account about your school appears?

The gossip on these accounts can vary greatly in nature, severity, and reach. Nevertheless, it is important to respond when unrest arises at school as a result of a Gossip Girl account or when you receive complaints or reports. By taking online incidents seriously, you signal that the boundaries of acceptable behavior have been crossed. As school leadership, you are therefore truly focusing on setting standards. In doing so, you support staff members and students who have become victims of the gossip and indicate how you want people at this school to treat one another.

Eight tips for dealing with this

Tip 1: Do not make the problem bigger than necessary, but do not trivialize it either

Although gossip is inappropriate, it is not punishable by law. Defamation and libel, on the other hand, are. Gossip accounts always bring a sense of insecurity into the school. Therefore, always tailor the measures and your approach to the seriousness of the situation.

Tip 2: Assess the needs of those involved

Are students – or teachers – directly targeted by the gossip, and are they struggling with it? Talk to them about what they need in order to be able to attend school safely. Friends and colleagues of victims can play an important role in this.

Tip 3: Take action against the instigator(s) (if known)

  • The owners of the accounts often remain anonymous and are difficult to identify. Sometimes you never find out who the instigator is. Do you find out? Then talk to the instigator(s) and immediately contact the parent(s) of the student(s) concerned.
  • Discuss the consequences of the incident (for example, possible measures) and explain the consequences for the victims.
  • Set boundaries on the behavior. This is particularly important in incidents involving social media, because of the disorder and the absence of a social norm on the internet.
    Take measures against the instigator. What these measures are depends on your sanctions policy and what is appropriate in this situation. Want to read more? See the student sanctions ladder.

Tip 4: Involve parents and communicate a clear standard

Especially when an incident has taken place online, informing parents is an important consideration. This is because of the internet’s potential for growth and the responsibility parents have to guide their children in their use of social media. Parents can contribute to damage control, for example by talking to their children about moral behavior online and the possible consequences of online bullying. In addition, this establishes a clear boundary of acceptable behavior – something that is often sorely lacking online. In your communication with parents, be sure to state: exactly what is happening, that you disapprove of the behavior, what actions the school will now take, what you expect from parents in this regard, and who students and parents can contact with questions, concerns, or complaints. See also: Sample letter: Social media and bullying

Tip 5: Talk to students and set the boundary

Talk to students about this trend and make it clear to them – even if they are not directly involved – that they contribute to the problem when they send in so-called ‘tips’ or respond to the posts. Also discuss online bullying and the consequences of these kinds of accounts for the victims. Explicitly ask students to unfollow the accounts, not to respond, and encourage them to report the accounts instead. Emphasize the shared responsibility you carry as part of the school for creating a socially safe environment. Also discuss the impact of the gossip on the victims and ask students to support them. Refer here to the agreements made at the beginning of the school year about how we want to treat one another.

Tip 6: Removing the accounts does not always solve the problem

You naturally want genuinely harmful posts removed as quickly as possible. That is easier said than done: it can sometimes be difficult to get in touch with major social platforms such as TikTok. In addition, removing this kind of content is often not the highest priority. In serious cases, consider consulting the police or using meldknop.nl if you do not yet have a regular contact at the police. Do not make removing these accounts your highest priority if the gossip does not take extreme forms. Due to the everyday nature and speed of the internet, trends like these quickly become ‘old news’ and are replaced by new trends. Therefore, focus primarily on the impact on safety at school and on the impact on those involved.

Tip 7: Indicate where students and staff can turn

Consider establishing a central reporting point for signs of gossip accounts, for example with the safety coordinator or the anti-bullying policy coordinator. It is important that students, staff, and parents know where they can go with concerns or reports. In addition, you can once again emphasize the role of the confidential adviser and the anti-bullying coordinator in cases of online bullying.

Tip 8: Work on prevention

In addition to responding to incidents, online incidents are particularly suitable prompts for working preventively on social safety: online as well. For example, consider how you can develop digital citizenship skills by challenging students to think critically about what happens on social media and encouraging positive online behavior. Make agreements about how you treat one another online. A useful rule of thumb is that the rules of conduct that apply in the classroom and at school also apply online. At the policy level, examine how online bullying is addressed in the social media protocol, the school-wide rules of conduct, and the anti-bullying policy. You could also appoint a staff member responsible for social media, for example by teaching students about social media and keeping teachers informed about what is happening online. Want to learn more about prevention? See School & Veiligheid’s thematic page on social media.

Support from Stichting School & Veiligheid

Stichting School & Veiligheid supports schools in promoting a socially safe school environment. In addition to this information, you can always contact the Advice Center for help, advice, and support: 030 – 2856 616. The Advice Center can be reached every school day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.