Teachers warn comedy shows are encouraging cruelty English teacher banned what he calls 'The B word' from his classroom Said pupils described behaviour as 'banter' to get out of trouble Teenage shows The Inbetweeners and Bad Education feature word heavily School bullies are using lines from TV comedy and movies to disguise their cruelty - by calling it banter. Teachers are cracking down on the trend, which pupils have picked up from programmes such as The Inbetweeners and Bad Education to mask "appalling behaviour." English teacher Mike Stuchbery said that rather than "light-hearted joking," it has become a "friendlier-sounding term for bullying." One teacher has banned 'banter' from his classroom claiming some pupils use the word as a way to get out of trouble for bullying (file image) He has gained a groundswell of support from other teachers on Twitter after banning what he called "the B-word" from his lessons. In a blog on the Times Educational Supplement website, he said: "If I catch someone stealing another student's pencil case, calling a fellow pupil a derogatory name or thumping them, nine times out of ten I'll be met with, "Siiiiir, it's just bantaaaaaaaah." 'It's as if kids think that squawking these words in the tone and cadence of an East End fishmonger is some sort of magic get-out-of-jail-free card. Mr Stuchbery, who teaches at Lynn Grove High School in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, said the cruel, modern banter had taken over from what was traditionally good-humoured wordplay. He added: "Banter is everywhere. Chuck "banter" into Facebook and you'll get hundreds of pages dedicated to ripping a person, group or organisation to shreds. Through repetition and the magic of social media, banter has become an acceptable, friendlier-sounding term for bullying. It attempts to mask appalling behaviour under the guise of some ancient, noble, peculiarly British tradition. He said banter was also "loathsome because it shifts the blame to the victim," adding: "It is classic victim-blaming. "It's just banter" makes it seem as if the problem rests with the person who has suffered the insult." The Inbetweeners and Bad Education have spawned playground catchphrases such as "Archbishop of Banterbury," "Bantom of the Opera" and "Bantanamo Bay." The Inbetweeners and Bad Education have spawned catchphrases such as 'Bantanamo Bay', 'Archbishop of Banterbury' and 'Bantom of the Opera' In his blog post, Mr Stuchbery vowed to tell his students that "banter" can no longer be used to excuse bullying. He said: "I'm going to look my students in the eye and ask them point-blank, "Why did you do it? Why did you steal his pencil case? Why did you thump her? Give me a solid reason."" He was backed by Dan Roberts, deputy head of Devonport High School for Boys in Plymouth, who said: "People use banter as a means of excusing their behaviour. If someone asks you to stop and you carry on, that isn't banter. Carrie Herbert, founder of the Red Balloon Learner Centre Group, which helps victims of bullying, added: "It is used to mask really unpleasant, hurtful behaviour, as if it is just a joke." The term was used to describe allegedly "sexist, racist and homophobic" texts between former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay and head of recruitment Iain Moody. The League Managers Association provoked fury by calling the texts "friendly banter." But former England player Stan Collymore said this response was "casual racism."