Bullying, specifically Cyber-Bullying, is a topic BROADSIDED has wanted to tackle for a very long time.  With last week’s Ohio school shooting being directly attributed to this very thing, this is a prescient topic that demands discussion.

Bullying affects millions of children throughout the world each year. Recent advances in technology have led to greater prevalence of cyberbullying using e-mail, instant messages, social networking sites, and other digital messaging systems. The book, Cyberbullying – Bullying in the Digital Age, provides the most current information on the nature and prevalence of this quickly-evolving issue that causes unique challenges and concerns for children, parents, and educators.

Examining the latest research and methods for studying this issue, the authors have utilized vital studies involving over 3500 middle-school students, online research projects on cyberbullying on blogs, and data from focus groups of victims, perpetrators, and their parents. This edition includes updated and expanded empirical data; coverage of the newest digital venues where cyberbullying is appearing, including social networking sites; and a look at occurrences of cyberbullying among adults and among children with disabilities. The book also covers sexting and some of the legal issues surrounding it.

Joining us will be one of the authors of Cyberbullying – Bullying in the Digital Age, Patricia Walton Agatston, Ph.D. As a counselor and

Dr. Patricia Agatston

prevention specialist with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Agatston provides training and technical assistance to schools in the areas of bullying prevention, internet safety, drug prevention, and suicide prevention. She is a nationally certified trainer and technical assistance consultant for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and assisted in gathering data for some of the first national research being conducted on cyber bullying. She co-presented with Dr. Susan Limber and Dr. Robin Kowalski on cyber bullying at the International Bullying Prevention Conference in November 2006 , 2007, and 2009. Dr. Agatston is co-author of the book entitled, Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age, with Dr. Limber and Dr. Kowalski and the Cyber Bullying Prevention Curriculum for Grades 3 -5 and the Cyber Bullying Prevention Curriculum for Grades 6 – 12. A two-time recipient of the Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention’s VIP award, she has been quoted in articles on cyber bullying in Time Magazine, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and CNET News, and has appeared on CNN as well as other local and national television segments to discuss cyber bullying. Dr. Agatston serves on the board of directors for Connect Safely and the International Bullying Prevention Association.

Michael Barrett, Founder of "Heroes In The Hallway"

Rounding out the program will be Michael Barrett, Founder of a program called Heroes In The Hallway, an innovative program that safely provides mechanisms for children to report bullying.  To quote their website:

“Schools have to change. They need to stop protecting bullies and their parents. Times have changed but you can still teach right and wrong. The best way to solve any problem is to know the source, gain the information, and have a plan that has a “buy-in” from the majority of administrators, teachers, parents and students.”

We’ll have a chance to learn about how Heroes In the Hallway makes that happen.  Principal Dawn Iles of Nathan Hale Elementary School, Chicago, IL. will be here as well, to share her experience with Heroes In the Hallway in practical application.

So, buckle up! It’s time to get BROADSIDED!

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