Sextortion Among Adolescents
Thirteen-year-old Amanda Todd made a mistake. The British Columbia teen had just moved to a new town and turned to the Internet to meet people. She’d been chatting online with a man whom she’d become interested in. He said she was pretty. After more than a year of communicating with the man, he convinced her […]
Are “Gamers” More Likely to be “Bullies”?
Conventional wisdom and media headlines would have one believe that those who play video games are more at risk for engaging in a host of anti-social behaviors. There is certainly nothing new about this mentality: It was prominent in my 80s-era adolescence as well. I remember spending many hours playing Mortal Kombat on the classic […]
Standing up to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens
(For a formatted .pdf version of this article for distribution, click on the image above [or click here]). Spanish Translation Available Here Don’t be a bystander—stand up to cyberbullying when you see it. Take action to stop something that you know is wrong. These Top Ten Tips will give you specific ideas of what you […]
Empower and Educate, Don’t Just Create Panic
Last weekend a Facebook post by the Polk County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office went viral. As of this writing (less than a week later), the post had been shared more than 58,000 times (including by three of my personal Facebook friends, which is how I came to notice it). This wasn’t a post asking for the […]
Digital Citizenship Activities for Educators
Spanish Translation Available Here This document discusses ten ideas for classroom activities that educators can utilize to teach digital citizenship to their students. 1. VOICING YOUR OPINION. Ask your students what they think “digital citizenship” is, and how it should affect their attitudes and actions online. This gives them a chance to voice their opinion, […]
Student Experiences with Reporting Cyberbullying
Most students who are bullied do not report their experiences to adults. This was true 30 years ago when I endured middle school and our research shows it largely continues to this day. I remember being surprised (though maybe I shouldn’t have been) to learn from our first pilot study undertaken 15 years ago that […]
Messenger Kids Isn’t the Problem, But Perhaps Part of the Solution
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood wrote Mark Zuckerberg a public letter today asking the Facebook CEO to shutter its recently released “Messenger Kids” app. The concerns raised by these well-meaning organizations and advocates center on the risks potentially created by the early adoption of technology among kids. I’m unpersuaded by their argument and feel […]
Most Teenagers Aren’t Asking for Nude Photos
A recent New York Times headline caught my attention: “Teenagers, Stop Asking for Nude Photos.” Sage advice, I must admit, but I wondered where this was coming from. In the article, Psychologist Lisa Damour argues that we have long been warning children about the dangers (reputational and potential legal consequences) of sending sexually explicit images, […]
Teens Talk: What Works to Stop Cyberbullying
Many people like to ask me what works to stop cyberbullying when it happens. While I have some ideas on this question (over 15 years of studying the problem will lead to more than a few thoughts!), Sameer and I also like to hear directly from students about what they think will work, and—maybe more […]
Cultivating Youth Resilience to Prevent Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization
In an effort to better prevent and respond to bullying and cyberbullying, schools are recognizing a need to focus on positive youth development. One often-neglected developmental construct in this rubric is resilience, which can help students successfully respond to the variety of challenges they face. Enhancing this internal competency can complement the ever-present efforts of […]
