Fury over school sex lists

Hundreds of Chats-worth and Phoenix pupils have been "named and shamed" on a social networking site for allegedly performing sexual acts.

A number of matriculants who are writing their final examinations - as well as pupils in grades 8 to 11 at Greenbury Secondary and Havenpark Secondary in Phoenix and Glenover Secondary in Chats-worth - have been named on MXit lists in the past three weeks.

One of the first lists, which started three weeks ago, was called the "gossip girl" list, modelled on a popular young adult TV series with a similar concept.

The list gives the names and schools of pupils who are allegedly involved in sex activities.

Other lists include "knob", "gay", "Greenbury's finest" and several "slut" lists.

The distribution of the lists resulted in confrontations between pupils who were named and the alleged sources, prompting enraged parents to confront principals at the schools.

Police are now investigating the lists. Four cases of intimidation and assault have been opened.

A Phoenix policeman said the station had been inundated with calls from concerned parents and pupils notifying them of the damning lists and their incriminating contents.

A Phoenix parent, who refused to be named for fear of victimisation, said that she had opened a case against pupils who were intimidating her daughter, who is in matric.

She said when her daughter's friends discovered she was not mentioned on the "gossip girl" list, they believed that she was the source.

"We opened a case because her entire class was ganging up on her because her name was not mentioned on the list. They thought that, because she knew everyone's stories, she was distributing information about them. So we decided to go to the police and let them handle it."

She said many "slut" lists were subsequently created, and her daughter's name was on them.

"My daughter is in the process of writing her matric examinations and this is happening. Just the other day she said that her matric year has been ruined. This is getting out of hand."

Another matric pupil at a Phoenix school said she was named on the first "slut" list.

"It was embarrassing because there is a comment next to each name. Next to my name was the fact that my boyfriend picks me up every day. The comment was that his car isn't the only thing I ride," she said.

Glenover principal Chris Kisten said there was no way of telling who was behind the lists. "We have put a lid on it, and we have had parents call police. The biggest problem is parents giving their children phones and insisting that they carry them to school."

He said the problem had been settled. Last week, he raised the matter of fighting among pupils with parents and pupils.

However, no culprit could be identified, as there was no proof.

Haven Park Secondary principal Kritanath Maraj said the issue had been settled and there was no violence at the school, adding that "everything was under control".

Education psychologist Malthi Maharaj said it was heartbreaking that children were doing this to each other.

"They are very irresponsible to do this, and they are doing it for attention. These children could be from troubled and broken homes, and they need counselling. They need to feel secure."

Maharaj said parents needed to take a firmer stand and caution their children on the dangers of the site.

"These children have sadistic inclinations. They have emotional and psychological problems, which is why they are doing it," she said.

The provincial Department of Education did not respond to enquiries about the lists.