Pupils 'mimic bad behaviour on TV'

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Pupils are picking up on bad behaviour seen in hit shows such as Big Brother and Little Britain, and copying it in school.

Teachers have reported pupils answering back, walking off, swearing and using disrespectful language after watching it on TV.

Some repeat catchphrases such as "Am I bovvered?" from the Catherine Tate Show - which was famously uttered by former Prime Minister Tony Blair for a Comic Relief spoof, or mimic inappropriate conversations had by favourite characters from soaps such as EastEnders.

A survey of 800 education staff, conducted by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) found that the vast majority (86%) believe that TV programmes containing bad behaviour have a negative effect on the behaviour of pupils.

The union warned that access to inappropriate TV is turning children into "Vicky Pollards" - the infamous Little Britain character known for her "Yeah-but, no-but" catchphrase.

Two thirds of those questioned (66%) said Big Brother was the programme most likely to cause poor behaviour, followed by hit BBC sketch show Little Britain (61%) and EastEnders (43%).

In total 88% of school staff said this type of show led to general rudeness among children, such as answering back, mimicking, or using retorts or catchphrases.

Three quarters (74%) said they caused aggressive behaviour, while almost half (43%) said it led to sexually inappropriate behaviour.

A classroom teacher at a state secondary school said: "Little Britain caused a lot of answering back when it was on, and the content in any case was not appropriate for the year 7 - 9 pupils who I know watched it."