Cyberbullying Activity: Word Scramble post thumbnail

Cyberbullying Activity: Word Scramble

Use this Word Scramble activity to introduce students to important concepts related to cyberbullying and Internet safety. Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (2022). Cyberbullying Activity: Word Scramble. Cyberbullying Research Center. Download PDF

ReThink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a LOT LESS SUCKY post thumbnail

ReThink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a LOT LESS SUCKY

I recently visited with Trisha Prabhu, Internet Safety advocate and social entrepreneur, to discuss her new book intended to help youth stop hate, lead with kindness, be an upstander, and enjoy their online experiences. I also read an advance copy, and I highly recommend it. Let’s get to our conversation! Trisha, it is so good […]

Flash Mobs and Lip-Dubs to Combat Bullying post thumbnail

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 […]

Bullying During the COVID-19 Pandemic post thumbnail

Bullying During the COVID-19 Pandemic

New research shows that school bullying dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic while cyberbullying remained stable. One of the questions we have been asked most often over the last 18 months is whether bullying has gotten better or worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early on, there was a concern that cyberbullying incidents […]

Trauma, Bullying, and Cyberbullying post thumbnail

Trauma, Bullying, and Cyberbullying

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the felt experiences of youth who have to deal with bullying at school or online, and how it may have a traumatic effect on some of them. One might argue that most bullying incidents don’t induce trauma, and that may be true if we view all forms and […]

Digital Citizenship in 2020 and Beyond post thumbnail

Digital Citizenship in 2020 and Beyond

Digital citizenship has been defined as helping youth “practice respectful and tolerant behaviors toward others” online. With the ubiquitous growth in personal device and social media use among youth – coupled with the adoption of more web-based technologies for education – many schools in the US and abroad have sought to teach digital citizenship practices […]

Eight Fun Student Engagement Ideas During COVID-19 and Beyond post thumbnail

Eight Fun Student Engagement Ideas During COVID-19 and Beyond

Educators, student engagement is essential now more than ever. Here are eight fun ways to keep them inspired, connected, and feeling loved – especially when they’re away from school! The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the way educators across the world instruct, support, encourage, and relate to their students. We know this will continue until […]

It is Time to Teach Safe Sexting post thumbnail

It is Time to Teach Safe Sexting

It’s 2020. And it’s about time we rethink our approach to teen sexting. Justin and I wrote an piece that was just published in the Journal of Adolescent Health (currently free to download!) arguing that it is time to take a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach to sexting, by supplementing abstinence messages with information to […]

Cyberbullying and helping youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) post thumbnail

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 […]

Emoji as Threats in Student Messages and Social Media post thumbnail

Emoji as Threats in Student Messages and Social Media

When we speak to students in schools across the nation, we always focus on the positives of social media while also sharing case studies to underscore the reminder they frequently need to hear: “pause before you post.” While there are numerous examples of students missing out on college and university slots, scholarships, and employment opportunities […]