The Regulation of Online Abuse in English Secondary Schools: A Socio-Legal Analysis

Online abuse is a relatively new phenomenon. It is associated with psychological harm in both victims and offenders, and impacts the lives of students in English secondary schools. Regulators have galvanised to address the problem, with policy, law and technological mechanisms employed to manage online abuse between young people. This thesis explores the regulatory frameworks relevant to online abuse amongst secondary school students, including; the duty of care of schools for their pupils, schools' statutory powers and responsibilities relevant to behaviour and safeguarding, the criminal law, technological architecture and policy decisions within the technology sector. The study reflects upon the effectiveness of the frameworks from the viewpoint of secondary school students, staff and school based police using a mixed-methods approach incorporating original qualitative data from 3 state schools in Northern England. The study identifies areas which could be improved and what aspects of regulation are more likely to benefit young people, by reducing online abuse or improving how it is managed.