Bullying via Vinted

[Weareoutofwine]

I've just seen quite a sad listing pop up on my Vinted feed. A photo of a school girl, blurry looking distressed in her school uniform. Clearly taken without permission. It has been listed as an item for sale - with what is likely her first name on it.

The 'seller' is based in a UK town and follows other sellers in said town. The sellers other items for sale suggest a teenage girl. I've reported it to Vinted - though there wasnt really a clear category that the report could fall into.

It makes me so so frustrated and sad that if a tool can be used for bullying
it is.

48 people have 'liked' the post in the space of it being up (v short time). Really despicable behaviour and suggests a targeted approach against the young girl. I don't really know why I'm posting this - just that I feel so upset for the girl, and so powerless. Bullying is rife and tech just seems so easy to use to inflict further visible humiliation and pain.

That’s awful! Vinted is fast going down in my estimation.

I've posted a report, but it has been up for three hours. I've managed to find the school from the very distinctive uniform and I think I will send the screenshots to the school?

I've posted a report, but it has been up for three hours. I've managed to find the school from the very distinctive uniform and I think I will send the screenshots to the school?

Or might I make it worse for the girl. My instinct is email the school.

Yes absolutely contact the school! Send screenshots as evidence

Do this, they could contact her parents so that she hopefully has support.

Do Vinted work faster with multiple reports? Could you get people you know to also report? I would avoid posting on here for the girls sake.

I saw something similar ages ago. I reported it and it was taken down really quickly.

Yes, you must report to the school. The poor girl.

The people liking the post, do they have real Vinted profiles? Or are they on there just to pile on?

Screenshot it and screenshot any identifying or useful info and report.to the school

Yes please do. They need to know

Yes I don't want to post anything identifiable. I have sent two reports and I have asked a friend to do likewise. I know how bully can ruin life's.

I might ask Mumsnet to delete this too.

I don’t think all the blame lies with Vinted, I would expect they took it down as soon as they were made aware of it. It’s the POSs posting stuff like this on the app that are the problem and ruining it for everybody else!

I will email the school now. Terrible behaviour.

You can't see the profiles on people who have liked. But I can see who the seller follows - and some of them are in the same town. So expect a pile on via peole in the 'know'. Horrid.

Most definitely email the the school! screenshot everything you can from the persons profile for evidence.

Unbelievably another listing with another secondary school pupil has shown on my refreshed feed - totally different school, vinted user etc. So clearly this may be a trend amongst teenage girls.
The joys of bullying and social media/online platforms. 😔

And another - this time a photo of a boy with his full name. I have screenshot them all - but the second two uniforms are non description generic. Clearly an online trend. I think worth flagging to teachers so I'm going to email my child's school about it too - as a flag for yet another bullying tool.

I saw one of a teenage boy earlier today also. I reported it.

Absolutely vile. Are they definitely 'just' bullying the children, or might they be using that as a cover for something even worse, like trafficking them to abusers?

Good on you for reporting them, OP. I really hope those kids are OK.

The safeguarding issue popped into my mind too. The first one I'm not sure - it could be either. Though looks like the photo was taken in school changing room/locker space.

The second two very much read as bullying - with mean/vindictive comments in the 'describe item section'. The second two very much give off teenage bullying vibes.

Vinted seems to work slow - all three have been up for hours and I have reported them all.

I'm surprised they have come up in my feed too. The only thing I can think is that I have been searching for suits and ties - and the kids are all in uniform. But nonidea how the algorithm works.

So four more bullying items came up whilst I was searching last night. All obviously bullying by other teenage children. Photos clearly taken to mock the child with cruel descriptions. So we can ad Vinted to the list of social tools uses to by bullies to attack victims.

I have emailed both my children's school as I don't know if this is widely known about by schools yet.

Report to the police online they’ll do more than Vinted. This is absolutely disgusting. Poor girl.

Yes, contact the school definitely. I think I’d also contact the police as cyber-bullying can be a crime under the Harassment Act and the Miscommunications Act, depending on the content of the post.

Thank you for looking out for this girl. I would imagine that is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure those who child-on-child abuse don’t only post on Vinted. There will probably be WhatsApp, group chats, Snapchat, Telegram, Tiktoks - whatever. That girl’s life is probably hell right now.

That was meant to say the Malicious Communications Act…my brain malfunctioned!

One came up on my feed today. I reported it to Vinted as item not allowed, and it was taken down within an hour or so.

Unfortunately, this meant that my page was then flooded with similar photos. I’ve spent all afternoon reporting each and every one.

Most of the descriptions called the person fat, smelly and ugly. Mostly targeting SEND children though, which is especially disgusting.

If your DC has their own Vinted, have a look at what they are listing! Vile human beings.