London, April 22 (IANS): Some British parents as well as school children - some even aged seven - are abusing teachers and even posting sexual comments on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, a starling survey has revealed.

According to a survey by the NASUWT union - the largest teachers' union in Britain - one in five teachers have received abuse aimed at them on social media and online forums from parents and students.

The survey, done on 7,500 teachers, said a majority of them who received online abuse did not report it to their employers or police, said the findings reported in the Guardian.

Some reported having fake Facebook profiles set up in their names with sexual comments.

Facebook led the online abuse, followed by Rate My Teacher website and Twitter.

“Teachers are often traumatised by the attacks made on them through social media.

"Schools need policies which prevent abuse and identify sanctions which will be taken against parents and pupils,” Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, was quoted as saying.

Those who went back to the school management with complaints, 40 percent said no action was taken against pupils and 55 percents said no action was taken against parents.

Where abuse was reported to the police, more than three-quarters said no action was taken against pupils or parents, the Guardian report added.