NCJ Number
220797
Journal
Journal of Adolescent Health Volume: 41 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2007 Pages: S61-S63
Date Published
December 2007
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the effects of media on youth behavior, the growing phenomenon of Internet bullying and harassment, and the role of education and education policymakers in addressing the risks for students.
Abstract
Given the common predictors shared by electronic and in-person forms of bullying and harassment, schools should implement effective prevention programs that acknowledge the role of technology, and also employ the communication methods that youth are most likely to use. Key implications of the Expert Panel on Electronic Media and Youth Violence’s research for educators and education policymakers are that: Internet bullying is correlated with school behavior problems; Internet bullying behavior peaks in middle school; Internet bullying shares common predictors with verbal, and to a lesser extent, physical bullying; and media literacy programs might mitigate the negative effects of electronic media on youth. Research priorities for education should include more knowledge about best practices for preventing electronic bully/harassment, and for mitigating the effects of media violence. Educators should be aware of the effect that violence, bullying, and harassment can have on children’s well being, including behavior and academic achievement. As the research presented by this expert panel showed, educators should be concerned about the issues of electronic media in the lives of their students. Electronic media plays an important role in the way most youth communicate with each other using social networking sites, e-mail, cell phones, instant messaging, and text messaging. Schools should focus on preventing bullying and harassment by promoting a zero tolerance for bullying/harassment within the school culture. Schools should also promote media literacy to educate youth to the unavoidable presence of violence in the media while educators need to become more tech-savvy regarding the most popular means of electronic interaction used by students. Future studies should address the use of technology in courtship violence, and gender-related and sexuality-related harassment. References