Read the latest news and brand new pieces on youth, social media, and emerging technologies! We focus on preventing harm and promoting positive online behaviors.

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Unplug for a While!

Many of us have become so dependent on technology, we don’t know what to do with ourselves without our favorite devices.  It’s almost sad (for me, at least) to consider how we don’t know what to do with ourselves if we can’t take out our phone at any moment to check our Instagram feed, or […]

Law Enforcement Involvement in Bullying Incidents: Different Rules and Roles post thumbnail

Law Enforcement Involvement in Bullying Incidents: Different Rules and Roles

Last week I posted about a situation where a student was suspended for his involvement in a fight in which video evidence showed that he did not participate in a way that warranted the punishment. In fact, from all available evidence, he did exactly the right thing to do: he walked away. Another aspect of that […]

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Video Evidence of Bullying: Implications for Effective Response

A new video has surfaced showing a bullying incident in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The video shows 14-year-old high school freshman Kobe Nelson being pushed around by a classmate while a throng of onlookers heckle and encourage the two to fight. Several of the students can be seen recording the situation on their cell phones. It […]

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Combating Bullying During Kindness Week

  In my line of work, I have the amazing opportunity to meet incredibly passionate educators who care so much about students – and do all they can to create and maintain positive climates in which those students can thrive. I’ve known Becky Nahrebeski, a 9th grade Global teacher, for a few years now, and […]

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New Year Ideas to Make Kindness Go Viral

Our first book for teens (Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral) came out a few weeks ago, and we’re really excited about its potential impact among students who have dealt with online harassment and want to do something meaningful about it (check it out if you haven’t already!).  That said, our publisher (Free […]

What We’ve Learned About Cyberbullying in 2013 post thumbnail

What We’ve Learned About Cyberbullying in 2013

While Justin has recently posted a 2013 update on research-specific facts, I thought I’d provide a more general but broader update on all that we’ve learned and seen in the area of cyberbullying this year. Overall and in my opinion, it has been a great year and one that seems marked by solid progress made […]

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Bystander Intervention in Bullying Incidents: A Misguided Experiment

A video has been making its rounds lately showing two young men engaged in a social experiment of sorts. The video shows one hounding, harassing, pushing, punching, and threatening the other because the target apparently failed to do the “bully’s” homework. The two play out this interaction over and over again directly in front of […]

Teens: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral! post thumbnail

Teens: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral!

Next week, our newest book will be released. And we are seriously pumped! Like all of the others, this one is on the topic of cyberbullying.  But this book is not like all of the others. Rather, it is the first book on cyberbullying that we know of that was specifically and intentionally written for […]

Not Guilty? Implications for the Teens Charged with Bullying Rebecca Sedwick post thumbnail

Not Guilty? Implications for the Teens Charged with Bullying Rebecca Sedwick

Felony stalking charges have now been dropped for the two girls (one 14 years-old, the other now 13 years-old) who last month were implicated in the suicide of 12 year-old Rebecca Sedwick. They were alleged to have bullied Rebecca at school and online, including messages calling for Rebecca to end her life, such as “Drink […]

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Cyberbullying Research: 2013 Update

It’s been nearly three years since I posted a summary of the current state of cyberbullying research on this blog.  That post was inspired by my concern that no researchers were included on a panel that testified to the Committee on Education and Labor’s Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities on the topic of how […]