Teachers in Australia are taking a stand against bullying and violence as police warn about a growing youth gang problem.

The warning comes as schools battle to protect their students from armed gang members, with some classes practising going into “security lockdown” – an emergency procedure to keep children safe when there is a threat of attack inside the grounds.

In response to sexual assaults and muggings of pupils, Andrew Stopps, the head of music at the Australian International Performing Arts High School in Sydney, founded the School Angels, an anti-bullying programme and web-based support network that brings together victims, education authorities, councils and police.

Mr Stopps said the time had come to take action. “There is a gang culture developing in Australia and they are taking their inspiration from the American gangs. They use the same hand signs, the same language; they wear the same clothes.”

Mr Stopps, who has been a teacher for 20 years, said the bullying problem was getting worse. “They use the internet to talk to other gang members in the United States and they are using the internet themselves to create almost a bragging rights page of ‘look who we’ve attacked’ or ‘look who we’ve mugged’. They’ll videotape it, they’ll upload it. It’s their trophy. They’re horrendous and they’re full of hatred. It is bad and it is getting worse.”

Tags: school violence