Please note: There is no cyberbullying epidemic. Like author and anti-bullying expert Rosalind Wiseman, I can't believe how many times I've been asked about "the epidemic" and what's to be done about it. Rosalind suggests that the epidemic is in bad PSAs and "educational" videos aimed at bullying prevention. I agree, but also suggest that we've been experiencing an epidemic of news coverage of … [Read more...] about A cyberbullying epidemic? No!
Justin Patchin
Sexting: What to tell a kid sent nude photos via cellphone
Delete them, plain and simple. That's what criminology professor Justin Patchin at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire advises teens in his blog. Parents, this is not what you'll hear from law enforcement people or school personnel because their jobs require them to obtain and report evidence of a crime. But if kids "follow this advice, they risk prosecution for possession of child porn if a … [Read more...] about Sexting: What to tell a kid sent nude photos via cellphone
Great advice to schools on cyberbullying
I don't think research on this exists, but it looks like a lot of schools are still laboring under the misconception that they can't do anything about bullying among students that's "off-campus" because online. School administrators need to be freed of that misconception fast. Even if only one student is being targeted, "off-campus" aggression is substantially disruptive because it not only … [Read more...] about Great advice to schools on cyberbullying
Bullying, cyberbullying & suicide: New study
Links between an increase in suicidal thoughts and bullying are well-established, so the emerging one between suicidal ideation and bullying online and on phones is not surprising but very important. A new study by cyberbullying experts, authors, and Profs. Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin is a vital step toward substantive help for the only age group (10-19) showing "an upward trend" in suicide … [Read more...] about Bullying, cyberbullying & suicide: New study
OSTWG report: Why a ‘living Internet’?
"Youth Safety on a Living Internet," the title of the just-released report of the Online Safety & Technology Working Group (OSTWG), is significant. It says a lot about the state of youth Internet safety because it says a lot about the state of the Internet now. This is not just technology or even "content" we're talking about, as we all know. It's behavior, or sociality, every bit as much as … [Read more...] about OSTWG report: Why a ‘living Internet’?