More than one in ten teachers accused of misconduct in 2011 had used social networking sites in an attempt to form inappropriate relationships with their students, figures from the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) has revealed.

Facebook, Twitter, email and online chatrooms were used to befriend students in 43 cases brought to the GTCE last year. 18 teachers were given prohibition orders and struck-off, whilst 14 were suspended. In all, the GTCE heard 336 cases of "unacceptable professional conduct" last year, The Guardian reports.

"I work in a lot of schools all over the country and I see very different approaches to social networking. Some schools have actually told teachers that they cannot have a Facebook account, whilst others haven't even given it a thought. Similarly, you find schools where staff are friends with pupils on Facebook," Karl Hopwood, an Internet Safety Consultant and Former Head said.

"My advice to schools is to always have a very clear and robust 'acceptable use' policy which is a living breathing document, not some 25 page tome on the staffroom shelf gathering dust. I think that they also have to have very clear distinctions between public and private."

In response to one case, where a teacher posted pictures of herself smoking from a bong and appearing drunk, the GTCE noted: "There appears to be a desire by the teacher to be the pupils' friend and to be popular. This desire appears to have overridden her professionalism, and has led to a blurring and an overstepping of the teacher/student professional boundary."

Last year, Teacher Support Network conducted a survey asking teaching staff how they thought the public perception of teachers could be improved. Out of those who responded, 59 per cent of teachers said they had adapted their behaviour outside of school because they thought it would impact on their role within school.

"I would not even consider acting inappropriately. If I am expecting young people to respect me, I offer something for them to respect," commented one teacher. "I have to stay professional as I believe that if parents of students see you, they want to see that you are respectable, professional and a good role model," suggested another.

Julian Stanley, Group Chief Executive of Teacher Support Network commented on the issue in this week's SecEd: "Teacher Support Network would always recommend that teachers refer to their school's procedures and policies, as well as approved guidance on social media matters."

"The risk of emotional distress and harrassment for a teacher is as strong online as it is offline, so it is vital that they take great care in all environments and seek support as soon as possible from their school, union and services like Teacher Support Network's whenever needed."     

We will soon be launching our new Twitter series on how to stay safe online.

The series will cover issues such as: how to stay safe when surfing the net, Facebook privacy settings and online privacy.

To make sure you know how to stay safe online, follow us on Twitter @teachersupport.

To read Julian's comment in this week's SecEd, click here.

Alternatively, try these links:

• Cyberbullying and online safety: resources for teachers

• 12 ways to protect your online privacy

• Facebook - Privacy settings