Netsafe says don’t record fight videos

An internet safety group says the onus is on bystanders not to record or share online video of violent attacks.

It followed the suspension of four Hutt Valley High School Year 9 students after footage emerged online of an attack on a fellow student.

What started as a confrontation between two students during interval last week on Monday escalated sharply when others joined in.

The video, which was sent to Stuff, showed a victim being hit from behind during the fight and being kicked while lying on the ground.

Principal Ross Sinclair said their actions were ‘‘frankly appalling’’ and was ‘‘totally unacceptable’’.

‘‘The authorities are involved, there is a quite a process running.’’

The incident came in the same week as St Patrick’s College Silverstream suspended four year 9 students for sexually harassing two female staff members.

An investigation is also under way at Wellington College after two male students posted lewd comments about girls on a private Facebook page.

Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said the incidents illustrated the complex issues schools were facing.

‘‘I think that due to technology and the ability to share things, there can be a long tail – a very permanent effect of the mistakes that we make.’’

While files could be deleted from sites such as Facebook and YouTube under the websites’ terms and conditions, peer-to-peer file sharing meant that sometimes videos could never be completely erased.

‘‘The reality is that the people who have made the mistake weren’t the ones to record it. The onus is on those bystanders to not video [this type of violence] or share it,’’ Cocker said.