How Secondary School Staff Construct their Remit, Responsibilities and Collaborative Efforts with Parents when Responding to Incidents of Cyberbullying and Sexting

Abstract This study investigated secondary school staff’s constructions of responding to incidents of cyberbullying and sexting and of collaborating with parents in doing so. Data comprised of 5 semi-structured focus groups with teaching and non-teaching staff across England and Wales. A social constructionist reflexive thematic analysis revealed three themes: (1) Remit and responsibilities, (2) Schools as substitute parents, (3) A chain of command. The findings demonstrate how teaching and non-teaching staff construct their own and each other’s remit and responsibilities for managing incidents where teachers are educators and pastoral staff provide student support and care. School staff construct parents as deficient in a number of aspects including responsibility, rules and boundaries, and knowledge. A dominant discourse of policy and legislation adherence underscores the value of such documents for encouraging recommended strategies in practice. The study offers insight into how school staff position themselves in the quest to prevent and manage cyberbullying and sexting, carrying implications for those designing and implementing school response strategies.