More Insight about the School’s Ability to Respond to Off-campus Threatening Speech
Schools across the United States continue to grapple with the question of when they can intervene in off-campus incidents that impact the school environment. A case recently decided by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals examined this issue once again. In January of 2011, Taylor Bell, an Itawamba Agricultural High School (Mississippi) senior, posted a rap recording (under the stage name “T-Bizzle”) to Facebook and YouTube that included threats to…
The Secret to Safety on Anonymous Apps
Despite the recent flurry of increased media attention, anonymous online environments and mobile applications have been around for many years. The social media site Formspring.me arguably introduced the world to the potential consequences of anonymous communications when it launched in 2009. Long before that, though, users routinely created fictitious MySpace profiles or pseudonymous online blogs. Formspring was apparently ahead of its time because it ceased operations in 2013 due to…
After School, Another Anonymous App for Teens
After School is the latest mobile device application to take schools and parents by storm. We first became aware of the social media app when it was introduced in the fall of 2014. It created quite the controversy back then and was even removed from the App Store, at least for a brief period. It did come back pretty quickly but we hadn’t heard much about it because most youth…
The Importance of your Digital Reputation
We live in a society where online searches tend to influence – if not drive – many of our decisions. If we are looking for a good doctor in the area, a potential vacation spot, or advice on what electronics to purchase this holiday season, we will perform searches using our phone, tablet, or computer. It is so easy and has become almost second-nature. That said, we don’t just look…
MusEffect: Inspiring Cyberbullying Prevention Through Dance in 2015
Over the last year, we’ve been in touch with Los Angeles-based non-profit dance company MusEffect after seeing their passion to use their talents towards cyberbullying prevention. Their Public Service Announcement, 953K – Inspiring Action Against Cyberbullying, generated over 1.2 million views and inspirational stories of healing and resolution from audiences across the globe. We particularly loved the compelling spoken word poetry and hard-hitting choreography, and believe it leaves a strong…
Cyberbullying Prevention Software Encourages You to ReThink
Last October, we profiled Trisha Prabhu, who as a young teenager designed software intended to reduce the prevalence of cyberbullying by invoking the conscience of users before they post or send a malicious or cruel text. Her project and efforts have deservedly received much praise on a national and international level, and Justin and I were particularly excited to see a teen who wanted to create a tech-based solution that…
How Empathy, Kindness and Compassion Can Build Belongingness and Reduce Bullying
I have known Dr. Patti Agatston for almost ten years now, and our work meets at the intersection of teens and technology. Justin and I hold her and her colleagues in the highest respect because like us, they make sure that the information they share is based on solid research instead of sensationalistic anecdotes or fluffy interpretations. Patti has served on the Board of Directors for the International Bullying Prevention…
Teens Charged with Possessing Naked Images of…Themselves
Two sixteen-year-olds from Fayetteville, North Carolina, did what many teens who are in romantic relationships do: they talk, they text, they hang out. And they sent each other nude photos. Research shows that at least one-third of teens have engaged in this kind of behavior at some point in their lives. Technically speaking, though, youth who are under the age of 18 who participate in “sexting” have created and distributed…









