About the Cyberbullying Research Center
The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying and other forms of online misuse and abuse among young people. Its website is intended to serve as a clearinghouse of information for parents, educators, mental health professionals, technologists, law enforcement officers, and others who work with youth (as well as for youth themselves!). Here you will find facts, figures, and detailed stories from those who have been directly impacted by various types of online aggression. In addition, the site includes numerous resources to help you prevent and respond to various persistent and emerging online risks and harms, and to promote the positive and prosocial use of technology and social media. All of the information here is informed by over twenty years of research.
The Cyberbullying Research Center is directed by Dr. Sameer Hinduja (Florida Atlantic University) and Dr. Justin W. Patchin (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire). They have been studying these issues since 2002 and first launched the Center in 2005 as a means to further their mission of bringing sound research about youth and technology to those who can benefit most from it.
Dr. Justin W. Patchin,
Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center
Dr. Justin Patchin is a Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In 2011, he received the Excellence in Scholarship Award, UW-Eau Claire’s highest honor for scholarship. Dr. Patchin is a former Futurist in Residence at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and past President of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. Prior to graduate school he was a Youth Treatment Specialist, working with at-risk and delinquent youth in Minnesota. He is passionate about helping youth develop into the best versions of themselves. Learn more about Dr. Patchin here.
Dr. Sameer Hinduja,
Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center
Dr. Sameer Hinduja is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. As a noted researcher and speaker on youth and social media issues for the last 20 years, Dr. Hinduja trains stakeholders around the world on how to promote the positive use of technology, build healthy online communities, and foster well-being. His studies have explored the impact of empathy, resilience, hope, climate and culture, deterrence strategies, social norms, parenting dimensions, peer-led initiatives, as well as the role of online platforms, developers, regulators, and governments. Dr. Hinduja is also the Co-Founder and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Bullying Prevention, a peer-reviewed journal from Springer. Learn more about Dr. Hinduja here.
Together, Dr. Hinduja and Dr. Patchin have written eight books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, and have presented around the world to hundreds of thousands of professionals. They have secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to support their research which has involved collecting data from approximately 40,000 youth regarding their positive and negative experiences online. Their work has been featured in many national and international news programs and outlets. In addition, they give trainings to thousands of educators, mental health professionals, technologists, law enforcement, parents, and youth every year on how to prevent and address the most relevant online risks and harms. Finally, they have served as an expert witness and consulted with attorneys on cases in this area. If you would like copies of their work or would like to inquire about their current projects and partnerships, please contact them.
