Social stigma around ‘snitching’ keeps students quiet, report says
Panel urges social media training in wake of teens’ shooting deaths near Etobicoke high school
Teens are so afraid of being branded a “snitch” they don’t want to call CrimeStoppers because they don’t believe it’s truly anonymous, says a safety report by the Toronto Catholic school board that recommends social-media training for students to stop online conflict from spilling into real life.
The panel looking into the circumstances around the shooting deaths of Zaid Youssef and Michael Menjivar last year near Don Bosco high school says the “don’t snitch ethos” permeates the school atmosphere and is a “challenge to school environments and safety.
“Students admitted that they did not want to be labelled as ‘snitches’ or ‘rats’ and that getting labelled as such is such a strong social taboo that it stops students from reporting information that could help keep the school safe,” the report states. “Several students reported they do not trust the confidentiality of the 222TIPS telephone reporting line, since it is run by the police.”
“Students admitted they did not want to be labelled as ‘snitches’ or ‘rats.’ ” PANEL REPORT ON SCHOOL SAFETY
The panel’s report lists 33 recommendations, including keeping buildings open after school so teens, especially those in at-risk neighbourhoods, have a safe place to be.
Paul Crawford, a retired superintendent for the board who chaired the safety panel, said the challenge now for staff in all schools is to build relationships so teens “trust an adult enough to give them information on the sly, and trust that the adult won’t ‘out’ them,” he said.
While it already happens in schools — “kids surreptitiously going up in the hallways and whispering in teachers’ ear, the principal’s ear, their coach’s ear, even the secretary’s ear — it can be anybody, just somebody who has developed a relationship with those kids.”
Teens told the safety panel that because CrimeStoppers is run by police “somehow it might get back to them.”
As for social media, “everyone on Twitter is following (disputes) and commenting on them, so it’s not two guys with a beef and three or four buddies who know, but people watching it and commenting on it.
It’s hard to back out of a conflict when people are watching it” so teens need to learn “how to get a positive voice in there.”
The report says all schools — elementary and secondary — need to teach kids about using social media as the “irresponsible use of social media can create or escalate conflict in a school.”
Menjivar, 15, and Youssef, 17, were shot dead over the lunch hour on Oct. 6, after a fight broke out in the parking lot of Don Bosco and then moved across the street to a park.
The two teens were killed behind highrise apartment buildings along Islington Ave.
Family members have said police told them the two teens were in the wrong place at the wrong time, alerted to an impending fight via Twitter.
A17-year-old was charged with attempted murder and other weapons’ offences, though the first charge did not relate to the deaths.
No additional charges have been laid in connection with the shootings and the investigation is ongoing, Toronto police say.
The panel also recommended that the board keep its child and youth workers — most schools have a dedicated position — as they are in the building and trained to connect with kids.
Metal detectors, though recommended by Youssef’s mother, Jina Samouie, to the panel, were rejected given members felt it was better to work with students to deal with problems before they become a safety issue.
Zena Alabedy, who has acted as a spokeswoman for Youssef’s family, said they were very upset that the idea of metal detectors was rejected.
“Metal detectors are very, very important because they’re going to detect a weapon, whether it’s a knife or a gun or whatever and cameras can’t detect that,” she said.
Alabedy said Youssef’s family still struggles with the loss of their son.
“They still do not believe that their son is gone,” she said. “They’re devastated. The murderers did not just take Zaid, away, they killed the whole family.” With files from Riannon Westall and Wendy Gillis
“Everyone on Twitter is following (disputes) and commenting on them, so it’s not two guys with a beef . . . but people watching it and commenting on it. PAUL CRAWFORD SAFETY PANEL CHAIR