Content Standards

Bullying and malicious mobile phone use

Unfortunately, mobile phones are sometimes used by certain individuals for text bullying or malicious calls.

Text bullying
Bullying is not new. But bullies are now using mobile phones to inflict misery on others. Young victims of text bullying – mean, offensive or threatening text messages – are often too embarrassed or frightened to seek help. Our research among parents and children in 2005/06 found that children frequently do not report mobile bullying to their parents and that parents often do not know what to do if their child is being bullied. Our research among families in 2007/08, showed that mobile bullying is a growing concern for parents and it is the number one concern for children in the UK (see content standards performance 2007/08).

Our Responsible Marketing, Content and Use Guidelines include advice to combat malicious mobile phone use:

• Be careful about giving out your phone number and other people's
• Always tell someone you trust what’s happening
• Never reply to the bully
• Keep and save messages
• Take a break from your phone
• Make sure only good friends and family are in your phone address book
• Be careful about who you allow to use your mobile.

Local campaigns to tackle bullying
Vodafone is leading a UK initiative to reduce bullying among 13 to 17-year-olds. In September 2008 Vodafone joined forces with charity Beatbullying and the West End musical Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat starring “Any Dream Will Do Winner” Lee Mead to launch a national anti-bullying campaign.

The campaign aimed to give young people the opportunity to express their thoughts and views on bullying by entering a competition to re-design the famous technicolour dreamcoat. Each winning design interpreted and hand made by an aspiring designer from the London College of Fashion and worn on stage by Lee Mead during Anti Bullying Week in November. The winning individuals / groups will be invited to London to see their design worn by Lee Mead on stage and meet the star of the show! Young people were also able find out more about the competition including how to create and submit their coat design through a number of channels including downloadable teaching assistant packs.

Following the stage reveal of the technicolour dreamcoats during anti-bullying week, the coats will be auctioned for charity on eBay and all proceeds will be donated to Beat Bullying who will strengthen their successful anti-bullying community schemes.

Vodafone New Zealand continues to work with the internet safety group NetSafe in an effort to tackle text bullying. NetSafe provides advice to parents, students and schools, and runs a confidential advice hotline. Vodafone New Zealand produced a brochure, distributed in schools by NetSafe, which provides practical advice on how to deal with text bullies. The brochure encourages children to report bullying and save messages as proof. In addition, Vodafone New Zealand helped agree a common process for handling complaints about text bullying with the police, NetSafe and Telecom. Vodafone New Zealand has procedures for investigating complaints and can send formal warnings to those responsible. See Vodafone New Zealand’s brochure on text bullying.

Malicious calls
Malicious calls between individuals are difficult to control, but we can provide support for customers who are victims of harassment via their mobiles.

We assist police in taking action against the people responsible if malicious communications are coming from Vodafone customers. If they come from mobile users on another network, we will identify the other network to enable follow-up by police.

All operating companies are required to review their procedures on malicious communications and update their reporting processes to take into account new types of communications including text and video messages, and video calls.