This has been stated before but not seen (or reported) enough: Cyberbullying is not an epidemic, even though news reports about it seem to have reached epidemic proportions. The last six surveys of "random samples" of students nationwide by two of the US's top researchers on the subject – Profs. Justin Patchin and Sameer Hinduja of the Cyberbullying Research Center – found that 18.8-29.2% … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying ‘neither an epidemic nor a rarity’: Researchers
Justin Patchin
‘Compassion mobs’ & other digital-age nonviolence stands
You've probably heard the phrase "kill 'em with kindness" for disarming detractors, well in social media it's more like swamping – flooding – public, sometimes collective, cruelty with kindness, acceptance, respect, etc. That was a powerful tactic used by students I wrote about in Part 1 of this series, but it has been practiced to huge ripple effect by students in Nova Scotia, Iowa, Minnesota, … [Read more...] about ‘Compassion mobs’ & other digital-age nonviolence stands
Bullying still > cyberbullying, but most kids do neither
Researchers keep coming up with different numbers, but what doesn't change is that… Most kids do not engage in bullying or cyberbullying There's considerable overlap between online and offline aggression among kids who do Bullying is not on the rise, but there's more of it going on than cyberbullying The prevalence of cyberbullying has been widely overstated. "Reports of a … [Read more...] about Bullying still > cyberbullying, but most kids do neither
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
An appropriately social anti-bullying campaign
I think the very reason why this year's big-media anti-bullying campaign featuring CNN's Anderson Cooper has a much more effective message – "Stop Bullying: Speak Up" – is because a social media partner's involved. Last year, Cooper was host of a TV special report, "Bullying: No Escape," sponsored by Time Inc., CNN, and Cartoon Network, eSchoolNews reports. This year a more positive and … [Read more...] about An appropriately social anti-bullying campaign