A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2023 post thumbnail

A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2023

I met Amelia when speaking at a high school in Central Florida, and was struck by her wide-angle view on the impact of social media in her life, and in the lives of her peers. I thought our readers could learn a lot from her insights, and so I asked her to provide this year’s […]

Can Empathy Reduce Cyberbullying Based on Race or Religion? post thumbnail

Can Empathy Reduce Cyberbullying Based on Race or Religion?

I have been increasingly concerned about rising levels of hate speech, hate crimes, racist bullying, and xenophobia – especially when considering how these behaviors online are linked to violence offline against marginalized groups. It isn’t just alarming, it’s frightening – especially being a minority and considering what my children may have to deal with while […]

The Role of Parents in Preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying post thumbnail

The Role of Parents in Preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying

Parents and guardians have always had a powerful influence on the behaviors of children, while research is clear that peers tend to have more sway during the teenage years. That said, our new research published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies identifies that certain positive parenting practices have a strong effect on both […]

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 […]

Digital Dating Abuse: Top Ten Tips for Teens post thumbnail

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 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 […]

Livestreaming: Top Ten Tips for Teens post thumbnail

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 […]

Responding to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens post thumbnail

Responding to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens

Shares the top ten ways teens can respond to cyberbullying, online harassment, and related victimization when it happens to them. (For a formatted .pdf version of this article for distribution, click on the image above [or click here]). Spanish Translation Available Here Here are a few ideas for what to do when you are being […]

Preventing Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens post thumbnail

Preventing 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 There are a number of steps teens can take to prevent cyberbullying. Here are a few examples: 1. EDUCATE YOURSELF. To prevent cyberbullying from occurring you must understand exactly what it is. Research […]