As did UK members of Parliament, US Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is now calling on Facebook to create a "panic button" for the US like the one FB's putting in place for UK users, reports HometownSource.com in Minnesota. Only it's not a "button" or a 9-1-1-type helpline; it's an app that users would need to download, as I wrote earlier this week. So it needs marketing to create uptake, which is fine – … [Read more...] about US senator calls for Facebook ‘panic button’ too
Risk & Safety
Bullies & victims: Research on commonalities
What bullies and victims have in common, as found by a review of 50 studies on bullying just published in School Psychology, does not surprise but is important to note: their lack of skill in social problem-solving, MedicalNewsToday.com reports. In other words, what the research found is that children who lack such skills are more are more at risk of becoming bullies, victims, or both. Dr. Clayton … [Read more...] about Bullies & victims: Research on commonalities
Really sound cyberbullying advice for parents, schools
There was some of the best advice for parents and school staff on cyberbullying that I've seen yet in the New York Times's health blog this week. The advice is from Elizabeth Englander of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center. She looks at how we can help our children deal with cyberbullying trauma and how schools should respond. On the first question, Dr. Englander acknowledges – based on … [Read more...] about Really sound cyberbullying advice for parents, schools
Schools’ cyberbullying quandary
Most teens don't cyberbully or harass their peers maliciously via the Web or phones and other digital devices, nationwide studies have shown. But some – anywhere from 4% to 30%, depending on the study cited – have, some extremely hurtfully, a very small portion of them with a level of aggression that led to teens' suicides. The research also shows that a great deal of this behavior, from mean to … [Read more...] about Schools’ cyberbullying quandary
A teen on kid virtual worlds: Insights
"It doesn’t matter how safe developers try to make these games, kids will still experiment with what they can say and do," says Julia Tanenbaum, who just finished her freshman year in high school and serves on the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board. Now extremely interested in anime and Japanese pop culture (she's studying Japanese), Tanenbaum looks back on her days in kids' virtual worlds. Her piece … [Read more...] about A teen on kid virtual worlds: Insights