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.
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 […]
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 […]
Doxing and Cyberbullying
Slang for “dropping documents,” doxing (also spelled doxxing) typically occurs when someone collects another’s private personal information, such as a home address, contact information or social security number, and subsequently broadcasts or “outs” that information to the public without permission. Crash Override Network (a task force made up of people who have previously been targeted) […]
The Challenge of Criminalizing Threatening Online Speech (Elonis v. United States)
“There’s one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you. I’m not going to rest until your body is a mess, soaked in blood and dying from all the little cuts. Hurry up and die, bitch, so I can bust this nut all over your corpse from atop your shallow grave.” These […]
Password Management Software for Teens
Think about how many times every day you use a password on a phone, computer, social media site, gaming network, or another online account. Passwords are a huge part of our daily lives. Technically, they serve as authentication to identify people as being who they claim to be. Correct authentication is supposed to prevent others […]
Speaking to Teens at Parochial Schools about Bullying
Apart from our efforts within various public schools around the nation, Justin and I also work regularly with parochial schools as they attempt to reduce bullying and encourage kindness across their campuses. This gives us a chance to really connect with the youth there in a powerful way by dovetailing their faith with a call […]
Cyberbullying Less Emotionally Impactful than In-Person Bullying?
Researchers at the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) just published a paper in the journal Psychology of Violence that explores the question of whether technology “amplifies” the harm for youth who are harassed. Anecdotally, we have heard this to be the case from many youth over the years: […]
Nothing Works? Taking Stock of America’s “War on Bullying”
The Obama administration arguably declared war on bullying in the fall of 2010 when it convened the first federally-supported Bullying Prevention Summit. In 2011, stopbullying.gov was launched. That same year, I attended a conference hosted by President Obama at the White House, where he said: “If there is one goal of this conference, it is […]
Bullying, Students with Disabilities, and Federal Law
At a recent conference in Chester County, Pennsylvania, I had the privilege of getting to know Andy Faust, who is an authority on special education law at Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP. In particular, I was impressed by his level of expertise and intrigued by his astute observations about the Individuals with Disabilities Education […]
Setting up a Free Bullying and Cyberbullying Reporting System with Google Voice
I have written in the past on anonymous reporting systems in schools, and I strongly advocate for them whenever I have the opportunity to speak to educators on how they should prevent cyberbullying. Based on your own observations, I am sure you’d agree with me that youth are way more comfortable texting/typing – especially when […]
