Susan McLean: Staff Online Safety & How To Better Protect Teachers and School Leaders | Episode 164
“Investigations take time. Reputational damage is instant.” - Susan McLean
What’s happening to school staff online?
In this episode, Susan McLean shares about the growing reality of online risk for teachers and school leaders.
From targeted harassment and aggressive parent communication, to being named and discussed in community forums, and the rise of AI generated content and deep fakes, the nature of working in schools is changing.
This conversation explores what staff are facing, the impact on wellbeing and safety, where behaviour crosses into reportable or criminal activity, and what systems, schools and individuals can do to better protect themselves.
This informative episode is for teachers, school leaders and anyone working in schools who wants to better understand the online risks they will face and how to better prtect themselves.
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Chapter Markers:
- 00:00 Introduction and why this matters
- 03:30 The changing digital landscape
- 07:00 What staff are facing online
- 10:00 Why this feels so personal
- 16:00 Impact on wellbeing and safety
- 21:00 Supporting staff
- 26:00 Behaviour, boundaries and consequences
- 34:00 System level responsibility
- 36:45 What schools can do
- 38:45 Individual protection strategies
- 42:30 Crisis management
- 45:20 Practical online safety advice
- 51:00 Final reflections
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Reflection Prompts:
- If I was targeted online, I could talk to...
- One risk that stands out is…
- One thing we could do differently is…
- To better protect myself, I could…
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Episode 164 Shownotes - Click here
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Susan McLean Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Your Questions Answered:
Q: What are the main online risks for school staff?
A: School staff are increasingly facing targeted harassment, being named and discussed publicly, aggressive communication from parents, and the rise of AI generated content such as deep fakes. These risks are often personal, public and can escalate quickly.
Q: When does online behaviour become a reportable issue?
A: Online behaviour becomes reportable when it is targeted, threatening, defamatory or involves harmful content such as manipulated images or videos. At this point, schools may need to involve legal advisors or police rather than managing it informally.
Q: How can teachers and schools protect themselves online?
A: Protection involves clear and enforced policies at a school level, strong support systems for staff, and individual actions such as securing social media accounts, maintaining professional boundaries, and being aware of how content is shared and used online.
