Trolling of fellow students and sometimes teachers is happening across schools, principals and mental health professionals who work with students said.
Posting comments targetting a peer till the child is fed up and reacts or leaves the online group is now common.
Students don’t share that they are being trolled. They seek help only when it gets out of control, said psychiatrists.
Being a particular teacher’s favourite, not being good in studies or “not being man enough” are some of the issues on which children allegedly target peers.
“Trolling has become common. They make a large group of 30-40 people who are all friends or known to each other and then troll one child,” said Seema Sapru, principal, The Heritage School.
“Sometimes if a particular student breaks off from a group, they could face trolling. But different students respond differently to trolling,” she said.
On many occasions, it skips the notice of the schools or teachers because it happens not in-person but online.
“Trolling is a major issue. And among schoolchildren, the impact is more because there are so many social media platforms and children or young adults can connect with so many people through it,” said psychiatrist Jai Ranjan Ram.
He said parents’ disapproval of use of social media platforms often leads children to hide from adults that they are being trolled online.
Recently, a Class VIII student was being trolled by her friends because of “poor academic performance”. It got so bad that the student wanted to leave the school. Her mother found out and sought professional help.
In another instance, a Class X student had posted a photograph of hers on social media. She was trolled for what she wore and her appearance, even by senior students.
“Trolling has a cascading effect. One group starts it and then others join. It has become rampant after Covid because it happens in online groups that parents cannot monitor and is difficult for teachers to identify,” said psychiatrist Sanjay Garg.
Earlier, commenting on one another would happen online but on a one-to-one basis or in a very closed group, teacher said.
“An in-person episode in school that was controlled by teachers by enforcing discipline is now taken online by students because they cannot settle scores in school,” said Satabdi Bhattacharjee, principal, South City International School.
Differences between students or arguments that arose when one talked behind another’s back used to be settled during school hours.
“There was not much scope to amplify it earlier. Now, they amplify with an attitude to vilify someone,” said Rodney Borneo, principal, St Augustine’s Day School, Shyamnagar.
Teachers said the language of the trolling is abusive and borders on violence. The trolls do not spare the teachers either.
“Teachers in their 40s or 50s who are on social media do not know that they too can be trolled. They don’t know how to handle it,” said a principal.
Trolling has become common because every child now has a device in his or her hand.
“Trolling is a reality and students’ grudges against each other surfaces in the comments. Almost every child has a device and parents do not know what is happening on those devices,” said Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharjee, principal, South Point High School.
Almost everyone this newspaper spoke to conceded that one cannot tell a student not to be on social media today.
Psychiatrist Ram said: “Social media behaviour has to be part of life skills lessons in school.”
