The Impact of Social Media Hacking Incidents on School Reputation: An In-Depth Investigation of Crisis Response Strategies

This qualitative study uses the Situational Crisis Communication Theory framework. The framework focuses on strategic crisis responses. These responses consider the extent of crisis responsibility and the potential risk to one’s reputation. The study examines how the school head lessened the impact of social media hacking incidents. An in-depth interview was conducted with ten school heads from the Division of Davao Occidental. These school heads were chosen using a purposive sample approach. The study reveals three major themes in the complex challenges educational institutions face in managing social media hacking incidents: organizational cybersecurity unpreparedness, resources-constrained digital resilience and reputational risk management in the digital age. School heads employed various coping mechanisms, including crisis communication resilience, digital security empowerment and stakeholder trust restoration. Finally, the key insights gained emphasized the importance of proactive digital resilience, transparent institutional accountability and collaborative community protection. The study provides a crucial roadmap for understanding, managing, and preventing digital security incidents in educational settings, emphasizing the importance of prevention, education, and collaborative action in maintaining institutional reputation and ensuring digital safety. We recommend that educational institutions must develop a comprehensive approach to digital security that encompasses technical preparedness, proactive prevention, and strategic communication.