NOTE: Since April 2020, we have been offering every one of our presentations and trainings in virtual modalities (e.g., Zoom, WebEx, Teams, Hopin, Skype). Reach out if you need specifics, as we’ve optimized the way we engage with our audiences from afar!
This presentation seeks to help college and university staff prevent and respond to cyberbullying, sexting, and unwise social media use among students. You must make clear to students (starting at freshman orientation) what the expectations are in terms of appropriate participation and interaction online. We want students to embrace new communication technology for all of its benefits so that they can succeed as we move deeper into the Information Age. However, we must help them understand how to make the best decisions to promote a positive digital reputation, avoid unintentionally or intentionally engaging in cyberbullying and hate speech online, and protect themselves from digital dating abuse, sextortion, revenge porn, and similar problems. This goal of this training is to encourage and equip staff to counsel and guide the students under their care, rather than spread fear-based messaging about the myriad dangers out there. We want our students to excel both personally and professionally, avoid the pitfalls that others have experienced, represent our school well both while they earn their degree as well as after graduation, and be productive members of our community. We utilize an interactive powerpoint presentation with real-world examples (and a short video or two) and seek to keep students engaged through a high-energy speaking approach.
Key issues discussed: online cruelty; online reputation management; responsible social media usage; online integrity; promoting positivity online; sexting; electronic dating violence; sexting; revenge porn
This presentation will help college and university staff and support personnel:
• Obtain a baseline for what the research says as to the prevalence, scope, and frequency of cyberbullying among college students
• Understand the role of the school in responding to cyberbullying
• Understand how non-technological and technological cases have created legal precedent
• Identify the best ways to structure formal policy
• Discover ways to assess the problem and implement programming to reduce its prevalence
• Understand how anonymous reporting systems can help
• Understand the critical importance of creating and maintaining a positive school climate to prevent misbehaviors, offline and online
• Identify how college students are undermining their character, integrity, and perception across Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
• Learn what needs to be conveyed in order to foster positive change in their social media practices
• Learn what the research currently says about the prevalence, motivations, and implications of sexting
• Explore the reality of Snapchat hacks, the iCloud celebrity photo hack, sextortion, revenge porn, and how to prevent victimization
• Think about sexting with a more nuanced perspective, considering motivations, formal laws, cultural pressures, social norms, the longevity of relationships, and more
• Recognize how students in romantic relationships may control or abuse their significant others via technology
• Explore the issues surrounding social media “friending” and “following” between adults and students
(60-75 minutes)
Here are numerous testimonials from schools and other organizations with whom we have worked.
Contact us today to schedule our visit to your school, or if you have any questions!
