Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Health Care Providers
This resource provides tips for health care professionals (pediatricians, school nurses, etc.) to help them identify and care for students who may have experienced cyberbullying.
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Digital Dating Abuse: Top Ten Tips for Teens
“Digital dating abuse” involves using technology to repetitively harass a romantic partner with the intent to control, coerce, intimidate, annoy or threaten them. Given that youth in relationships today are constantly in touch with each other via texting, social media, and video chat, more opportunities for digital dating abuse can arise. Below are ten tips to help keep teens safe online when it comes to romantic relationships.
Cyberbullying Fact Sheet: How to Preserve Cyberbullying Evidence Through Screenshots
This Fact Sheet provides instructions on how to create an image of what you see on any screen (on any device – your laptop, tablet, gaming console, Kindle, phone, iWatch, etc.) so that evidence of cyberbullying (or any other problematic behavior) can be saved and used for an investigation at school, or to send to…
Cyberbullying Crossword Puzzle: Talking to Youth about Internet Harassment
A crossword puzzle to be distributed to youth to promote discussion about cyberbullying. Use it in the classroom, an after-school program, or even at home as a fun way to connect with kids about these issues, and how they can stay safe to enjoy all that the Internet, social media, and online gaming have to…
Cyberbullying Word Find: Talking to Youth about Internet Harassment
A word search to be distributed to youth to promote discussion about cyberbullying and Internet safety. Use it in the classroom, an after-school program, or even at home as a fun way to connect with kids about these issues, and how they can stay safe to enjoy all that the Internet, social media, and online…
Cyberbullying Scripts for Parents to Promote Dialog and Discussion
Provides parent/teenager “scripts” to promote dialogue and discussion about cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying Videos to Use in Presentations
Sameer and I regularly give presentations to students about the importance of using technology safely and responsibly. Due to time and resource constraints, this is often done in large school assemblies. By themselves, assemblies likely don’t accomplish all that we would hope for in educating young people about these issues, but they can serve as…
Social Media, Cyberbullying, and Online Safety Glossary
In our Glossary below, we define the terms you need to know in the realm of social media, cyberbullying, and online safety, so that you are increasingly informed about technological jargon as you work with the youth under your care. (Apart from the list below, you can also download a distributable PDF of our Social…
What the Best Bullying and Cyberbullying Assembly Speakers Do
I have recently shared the most important considerations for schools planning to host bullying assembly programs according to research. Now, I wanted to turn your attention to bullying and cyberbullying speakers themselves. As you may know from your own experiences, there are fantastic ones out there, but there are also many who leave a lot…
Bullying Assembly Programs – What Schools Need to Know
For decades now, schools have been organizing assemblies to address bullying, substance abuse, and a variety of other student issues. Perhaps like me, you remember sitting through them during middle or high school school and – unfortunately – tuning out because you just didn’t feel like you could connect with the speaker. When it came…
Bullying, Cyberbullying, and LGBTQ Students
Bullying that specifically targets youth and young adults based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression has been a problem for decades. The increased utilization of technology among youth (and, well, just about everyone) has resulted in bullying behaviors moving online. As a result, cyberbullying perpetrated against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth…
Digital Dating Abuse: A Brief Guide for Educators and Parents
This 8-page research brief provides educators, parents, and other youth serving adults information about the nature and extent of digital dating abuse among adolescents and how to best address it.
How Social Media Companies Should Combat Online Abuse
A new year is upon us. While we’ve made some progress in reducing cyberbullying, online hate, and other forms of abuse and toxicity, I think we can do better. Social media companies are often seen (and vilified) as accomplices to the harassment and victimization that happens on their platforms, and – admittedly – are an…
AI Solutions to Cyberbullying and Social Media Abuse
Our professional lives focus on promoting civility and preventing toxicity online, especially among youth. By intersecting social science with computer science, we have been able to make strides in this area. With regard to artificial intelligence (AI), the overarching goal is to preempt victimization by: identifying (and blocking, banning, or quarantining) the most problematic users…
Bullying Prevention Through Empathy Building: Getting Students to Care
The relationship between empathy and healthy peer relationships has been studied at length over the years, and research suggests that building empathy can help reduce bullying and cyberbullying while simultaneously promoting tolerance, kindness, and peer respect in student interactions. While many teachers and administrators affirm its importance, they often do not have a toolbox of…
Bullying Because of Religion: Our Latest Findings and Best Practices
We share our brand new findings on religious-based bullying and cyberbullying among US youth. We also share current best practices in prevention for schools and communities.
Cyberbullying and helping youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
I’ve recently discussed the susceptibility of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be cyberbullied, outlining a number of reasons that contribute to such victimization. When it comes to suggestions as to how we can help these kids, a few things stand out in my mind. First, it is really important to try to understand…
Flash Mobs and Lip-Dubs to Combat Bullying
I was talking with an educator last week about enlisting students to help create a healthy, thriving, and fun school climate, and specifically brought up the idea of flash mobs and lip-dubs. Many of our students have talents and abilities which we should really tap in order to help us promote positive attitudes and behaviors…
Social Media Companies, Reporting, and Secondary Victimization
One of the complaints I’ve heard most often from educators, parents, and youth when discussing cyberbullying is that social media companies are slow, inept, or unwilling to respond to the formal “reports” they send in through the site or app. This is not only infuriating, but also depressing because it contributes to a feeling of…
Livestreaming: 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 Online videos are where it’s at these days. But dated, archived videos sometimes aren’t as desirable or compelling as live videos – depending on the content you want to show. Plus, it’s hard…
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…
Teen Sexting: A Brief Guide for Educators and Parents
This research summary reviews what is currently known about teen sexting. Research from across the United States is discussed, along with practical solutions for parents, educators, and other adults to prevent and respond to teen sexting. Citation information: Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2018). Sexting – A Brief Guide for Educators and Parents. Cyberbullying…
Federal Commission on School Safety
Yesterday, I testified on “cyberbullying and social media” in front of the Federal Commission of School Safety, chaired by Secretary Betsy DeVos and comprised of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (Homeland Security), Secretary Alex Azar (Health and Human Services), and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Collectively, they are trying to garner insight on the ecology of schools and…
Responding to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Educators
(For a formatted .pdf version of this article for distribution, click on the image above [or click here]). Spanish Translation Available Here Educators need to respond to all incidents of cyberbullying. Here are some things you can do: 1. THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE all incidents so that you can direct resources and, if necessary, discipline to students…