Cyberbullying: Best Practices in Prevention and Response with Sameer Hinduja

On May 15, 2017, researchers and practitioners had an opportunity to spend an enjoyable and instructive evening with Dr. Sameer Hinduja as he spent two hours giving a public lecture entitled “Cyberbullying: Best Practices in Prevention and Response” on DCU’s St. Patrick’s campus. Dr. Hinduja is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and has spent a month working with Dr. James O’Higgins Norman and the rest of the Anti-Bullying Centre. The event itself was hosted by Dr. Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, and included representatives from the Fulbright Commission and the Psychological Society of Ireland in attendance.

With the almost ubiquitous use of social media and smartphones by adolescents these days across Ireland and most other countries, certain forms of teen technology misuse are cropping up and leading to various emotional, psychological, behavioral, and physiological problems. These issues have made many educators, parents, and other youth-serving adults very nervous as it relates to their negative impact, and very overwhelmed in terms of knowing what to do.

Through a compelling, interactive lecture which involved anonymous flash-polling of the 200+ audience members, video clips, and engaging stories to support his points, Dr. Hinduja inspired, educated, and provoked those who came. Topics covered included prevalence rates of bullying and cyberbullying in Ireland and America (where he collects his data), school climate, digital citizenship, resilience, peer-led initiatives, empathy, and the importance of connection and relationship with kids. He also offered himself to DCU and the attendees as a resource both now and in the future, and said that he looks forward to continued collaboration as we jointly work to reduce bullying of all kinds across all environments.

Pictured with Sameer Hinduja during his visit are students of Virgin Mary Boys and Vigin Mary Girls national schools in Ballymun.