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.

Electronic Dating Violence and Teens – our 2010 research findings post thumbnail

Electronic Dating Violence and Teens – our 2010 research findings

We have recently shared that electronic dating violence among teenagers is one of the facets of adolescent technology misuse we are exploring. Please see the previous referenced blog for foundational information. Today, I wanted to share with you our research results from our 2010 data. This is based on a random sample of approximately 4,400 […]

New Hampshire’s Cyberbullying Law, upcoming Cyberbullying Conference post thumbnail

New Hampshire’s Cyberbullying Law, upcoming Cyberbullying Conference

New Hampshire is one of the states whose cyberbullying law (passed earlier this year) we applaud. Specifically, House Bill 1523 asserts the following: I. Bullying or cyberbullying shall occur when an action or communication as defined in RSA 193-F:3: (a) Occurs on, or is delivered to, school property or a school-sponsored activity or event on […]

Sexting Policies in Schools post thumbnail

Sexting Policies in Schools

I have been thinking a lot recently about formal policies related to sexting that all middle schools and high schools should have enacted by now. However, I am finding that many districts have not yet detailed in their discipline codes exactly what it is, how it will be investigated, who will be involved, and what […]

Most Cyberbullying Cases Aren’t Criminal post thumbnail

Most Cyberbullying Cases Aren’t Criminal

Many of you perhaps already saw the brief comments I wrote for the New York Times Opinion Page in the aftermath of Tyler Clementi’s tragic suicide.  They asked me to comment on the extent to which this incident was typical of many cyberbullying cases that end in suicide and whether or not criminal action against […]

Most Cyberbullying Cases Aren’t Criminal post thumbnail

Most Cyberbullying Cases Aren’t Criminal

Many of you perhaps already saw the brief comments I wrote for the New York Times Opinion Page in the aftermath of Tyler Clementi’s tragic suicide.  They asked me to comment on the extent to which this incident was typical of many cyberbullying cases that end in suicide and whether or not criminal action against […]

Cyberbullying Laws and School Policy: A Blessing or Curse? post thumbnail

Cyberbullying Laws and School Policy: A Blessing or Curse?

Many schools are now in a difficult position of having to respond to a mandate to have a cyberbullying policy, without much guidance from the state about the circumstances under which they can (or must) respond.  When folks ask me if I think there needs to be a “cyberbullying law” I basically respond by saying […]

Self-Esteem and Cyberbullying post thumbnail

Self-Esteem and Cyberbullying

We just received the page proofs from the Journal of School Health (official journal of the American School Health Association) for a piece entitled “Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem” that they recently accepted for publication. There has been much discussion recently as to how cyberbullying is related to depressive symptoms among adolescents, and so we also wanted to […]

IBPA 2010 Conference – Bullying Prevention in the Age of the Internet post thumbnail

IBPA 2010 Conference – Bullying Prevention in the Age of the Internet

The 7th Annual Conference of the International Bullying Prevention Association in Seattle, Washington is coming up quick, and we really hope you’re coming (register here).  We will be participating in a pre-conference on Monday, November 15th, and will be giving a presentation entitled “The Online Experience of Adolescent Girls: Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Relationship Abuse” on […]

IBPA 2010 Conference – Bullying Prevention in the Age of the Internet post thumbnail

IBPA 2010 Conference – Bullying Prevention in the Age of the Internet

The 7th Annual Conference of the International Bullying Prevention Association in Seattle, Washington is coming up quick, and we really hope you’re coming (register here).  We will be participating in a pre-conference on Monday, November 15th, and will be giving a presentation entitled “The Online Experience of Adolescent Girls: Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Relationship Abuse” on […]

Cyberbullying and Electronic Dating Violence post thumbnail

Cyberbullying and Electronic Dating Violence

Our cyberbullying work continues to take our research agenda in new and interesting directions. One phenomenon which we have been exploring in recent months is “electronic dating violence,” which we define as: “emotional or psychological harm in a romantic relationship perpetrated through the use of computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices.” The number of […]