It's an age-old social problem, but we have gotten so much smarter about bullying – both the problem and the solutions – since media became so very social. Not only do we now know that the age-old "schoolyard bully" is a stereotype, we know it's not the only one people all over the world entertain. There's more than one stereotype of bullying and more than one kind. But there's something else we … [Read more...] about 2 kinds of bullying, 2 kinds of empathy: Research
SEL
Game-changing insights on bullying from a top US researcher
If we want schools to be safe for all kids, we cannot ignore the direct connections between bullying, sexual harassment and homophobic name-calling in middle school. That's according to groundbreaking research presented by University of Florida psychology professor Dorothy Espelage in her latest talk. One of the U.S.'s leading bullying researchers, she was speaking in Washington at the American … [Read more...] about Game-changing insights on bullying from a top US researcher
VR as empathy teaching tool: What to love, what to watch out for
Just from watching Engadget's 6 min. video report about it I could tell "The Last Goodbye" – a 16 min. virtual reality experience that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival that just wrapped in New York – will have a profound impact on anyone who experiences it. The reporter called it "emotionally harrowing." So there are really two central roles in this VR experience: that of Holocaust … [Read more...] about VR as empathy teaching tool: What to love, what to watch out for
Youth cybersecurity concerns & what will reduce them: Research
This being National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we might ask how secure young people are feeling online. According to two just-released studies, not so much. But there's some light in there, so stay with me. A Microsoft survey of 13-17 year-olds in 14 countries found that 43% had experienced unwelcome contact at some point. The study also surveyed adults and found that 58% of young people … [Read more...] about Youth cybersecurity concerns & what will reduce them: Research
Real help for kids dealing with cyberbullying
It was an epiphany that turned into a theme for me at the annual conference of the International Bullying Prevention Association this week. It was a theme by the third day, when I heard keynote speaker Carlotta Walls-Laprier say, "I knew who I was." She, one of the Little Rock Nine (the African American students who made history in 1957 as the first to attend then-all-white Central High School in … [Read more...] about Real help for kids dealing with cyberbullying