As a society, we're getting closer to the heart of social media safety, which is largely, not entirely, a blend of emotional and social (psychosocial) safety. This thoughtful piece by Prof. Justin Patchin of the Cyberbullying Research Center – "Bullies or Best Friends? The Challenge of Interpreting Interpersonal Relationships" – raises some important questions for parents and school staff as well … [Read more...] about What are we really seeing in the social media fishbowl?
Cyberbullying Research Center
State anti-bullying law to be reworked
New Jersey's stepped-up bullying prevention law has been deemed unconstitutional not for its spirit but for its cost. It was the state's Council on Local Mandates that ruled the law – the "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights," which "was seen as one of the toughest in the nation" – unconstitutional as an unfunded mandate, the Tri-Boro Patch reports. The legislation's lead sponsor, Assemblywoman Valerie … [Read more...] about State anti-bullying law to be reworked
Kids deserve the truth about cyberbullying
When Justin Patchin, professor and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, talks to high school students in school assemblies, he asks them to give him an estimate of what percentage of teens have cyberbullied someone. "Somebody will shout out a number like 60 or 70%. Then I ask them, ok, raise your hand if you think it's higher than that, and the vast majority will raise their hands, … [Read more...] about Kids deserve the truth about cyberbullying
LGBT youth & cyberbullying: Study
The Cyberbullying Research Center has added its own data to our growing understanding of bullying related to sexual orientation. The researchers, Profs. Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin, found that 72% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students have been targeted by bullying at some point in their lives, compared to 63% of heterosexual students, with an "even more striking" … [Read more...] about LGBT youth & cyberbullying: Study
Of school policy on sexting
The Cyberbullying Research Center has some helpful policy-development advice for schools – policy all middle and high schools should have in place, says Sameer Hinduja, author, researcher, and co-director of the Center. I so agree, because clearly stated and implemented policy reduces the emotion and politics that only add to the emotional harm some students incur by having extremely embarrassing … [Read more...] about Of school policy on sexting