Presented Oct 29, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario "Social Media And Technology: New Opportunities and Benefits, New Challenges" Faye Misha, Dean & Professor Factor-Inwentash Facutly of Social Work and Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Chair in Child & Family, University of Toronto

1. Social Media & Technology:
New Opportunities & Benefits
& New Challenges
Faye Mishna, Professor & Dean
McCain Family Chair in Child & Family
October 29, 2013

2. Technology is in their OS
 Cyber world has exploded & created a new social
environment
 Unprecedented opportunities for youth to communicate with
others in & out of their face-to-face networks
Text
Messaging
Twitter
Email
YouTube
Social
Networking
Webcams
Tumblr
Blogs
…& is always advancing…

3. Technology is in their OS
 970 million unique Facebook visitors worldwide
 160 million unique Twitter visitors worldwide
(Google 2011a,b)
Text
Messaging
Twitter
Email
YouTube
Social
Networking
Webcams
Tumblr
Blogs

4. Context of Social Media World
 Dramatic technological advances have forever
changed how we communicate & interact
 Children & youth are sophisticated users of technology
 Youth acquire technological competence much faster
than their parents
 The risks of new technology are heightened by this
disparity in knowledge
 Youth seek social connections, information, personal
assistance, entertainment online (Mishna et al., 2012)

5. Technology is in their OS

6. Technology is in
their OS

7. Magazine is a Broken iPad

8. Technology is in their OS
98%
95%
85%
of Canadian youth use cyber
technology daily
of teenagers use e-mail
of youth use Instant Messaging
 Youth are digital natives (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008; Prensky, 2001)
 They have never known a world without technology
(Valcke, Bonte, De Wever, & Rots, 2010)

9. Technology is in their OS
93%
63%
75%
88%
of American youth 12-17 go online
occasionally
of American youth 12-17 go
online daily
of American youth own a cell phone
of these youth text message
(Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zichuhr, 2010)

10. Complexity of the Online Experience
 Regardless of the communication medium, relationships
are central & complex
 Features of technology create additional complexities
in social relationships
– Often & spontaneous
– Fewer social & contextual cues
• May decrease sensitivity & empathy
– Perception of anonymity

11. Navigating the Social Media World
 Developmental characteristics make children
/ youth unprepared for freedom of online
world (Liau, Khoo, & Ang, 2008)
 Young people need guidance to make the
best choices using information &
communication technology (Suniti Bhat, 2008)

12. Social Media World: Benefits
 Unprecedented opportunities for
communication, learning & self-exploration
 Access to crucial resources such as support
– Informal
– Formal

13. Social Media World: Benefits
 Most online interactions positive/neutral
 Can reduce social isolation, normalize feelings of
distress
 Explore identities not supported in school
• “Marginalized”/“vulnerable” groups
• e.g., LGBTQ, chronic illness, “invisible
disability”
(Whitlock et al., 2006)

14. Social Media World: Risks
 Bullying
 Sexual solicitation or victimization
 Exposure to harmful material
 Pornography, violent images, hate messages
 When child feels safe (home, room)
 Those affected (youth) know much more about
technology use than those who should protect
(parents, educators)

15. Defining Cyber Bullying
 No universal definition
 Use of information & communication
technology to cause harm to another
person [any device]
 Criteria: intent to cause harm,
target, power imbalance
 Includes behaviours to spread
rumours, hurt / threaten others, or
sexually harass

16. Cyber Bullying: Repetition
Complex
 Occurring in public domain, by its
very nature involves repetition
 Material (e.g., email, text, pictures)
can be viewed far & wide
 Can be distributed by perpetrator &
by anyone with access
 Can be difficult or impossible for
victimized child/youth to eliminate

17. Overlap with Traditional Bullying
 Youth who bully or are bullied offline are
more likely to bully or be bullied online
 Young people who are at greatest risk
of victimization in the cyber world are
also at greatest risk in the offline world

18. Prevalence of Cyber Bullying
 Typically ranges from 10 to 35% (Agatston, Kowalski, &
Limber, 2007; Hinduja & Patchin, 2008; Kowalski & Limber, 2007; Kowalski et al., 2008;
Li, 2007; Williams & Guerra, 2007)
 Some estimates are much higher, up to 72%
(Hoff & Mitchell, 2008; Juvonen & Gross, 2008; Mishna et al., 2010; Raskauskas &
Stoltz, 2007)

19. What Makes Cyber Bullying Unique?
 Engagement with the social media world is constant
 Therefore transcends the boundaries of time & space
 Difficult to escape, because technology follows children
& youth everywhere
 “non-stop bullying”
 Can impact young people above & beyond the effects of
traditional bullying

20. Biased-Based Cyber Bullying
 Hate-inspired electronic harassment based on
actual or perceived social identities
 Based on societal discrimination & inequity
 Conditions fostering bullying of marginalized
youth appear across all levels of social
ecology, including the cyber level

21. Mental Health Implications
 Can be devastating
 Growing concern for parents,
educators & society
“Like 1000 paper
cuts eating away
at your soul”
 Can affect many areas of a
child’s or youth’s life

22. Shame & Humiliation
 Little research on role of shame & humiliation in bullying
 Humiliation as a result of being bullied associated with
devastating consequences
 Humiliation is one of the critical factors that precipitate
suicidal ideation due to relationship problems
 Feelings of humiliation, which can be brought about by
repeated bullying, can increase thoughts of self-annihilation
 Nature of cyber world can intensify shame/humiliation

23. Disclosure
 Tendency for victimized children &
youth not to tell adults
 More risks than benefits
 Can be painful
 Self-blame
 May only tell when bullying
becomes unbearable
 Significant damage already done
 May disclose to friends
 Pressure on peers to manage
loyalty dilemmas

24. Disclosure
 Symptoms & difficulties related
to bullying experiences may
go unnoticed by child / youth &
others in their world
 Failure to recognize link
between problems & trauma
 Can be damaging
 Can invalidate youth’s
subjective experiences

25. Disclosure
 Not telling is more problematic
among marginalized children &
youth
 More victimization
 Less support
 e.g., LGBTQ, racialized,
newcomers, learning disabilities

26. Why Children are Reluctant To
Report Bullying & Cyber Bullying
 Fear technology will be taken away
 Don’t want to make a “big deal”
 Believe they can/should handle
on their own
 Often don’t label it “bullying”
 Code of silence among children
 Fear of retaliation
 Shame
 Lack of confidence in adults’ ability
to help

27. Adult Responses
 Is child listened to? believed & validated?
 Or, is child held responsible?
 Critical to listen & validate child’s experience
of victimization

28. Ineffective Responses
 Minimizing concerns
 Disbelieving victimized individual
 Blaming victimized individual
 Reacting in ways that place
victimized individual at more risk

29. Telling Parents: Focus Groups
 Students said they do not tell
their parents / adults
 Main reasons
• Fear losing computer
privileges
• Believe adults would not find
evidence of cyber bullying or
be able to identify aggressor
• Fear telling would exacerbate
cyber bullying
• Worry that the adult would
advise them to “ignore it”

30. Bullying as a Traumatic
Experience
 Impact of bullying is
often under estimated
 Traumatic impact of
bullying is minimized
 Bullying may also have a
traumatic impact on
bystanders

31. Funded by
Cyber Bullying Survey
- In partnership with TDSB & UJA Toronto
Board of Jewish Education
- 33 schools in Toronto
- 2186 students
- Grades 6 & 7, 10 & 11

32. Cyber Bullying
Survey
 Almost every household had a
computer
 2/3: 2 or more computers
 2/3 spend 2 or more hours on
computer
 Almost ½ use the computer in
a private place (e.g., bedroom)

33. Cyber Bullying
Survey
In last 3 months 50% of
students were bullied online





Called names/made to feel bad
Threatened
Spread rumours
Pretended to be the student
Sent others private pictures of
student
 Sent sexual pictures to student
that made them feel bad
 Asked to do something sexual that
student didn’t want to do

34. Cyber Bullying
Survey
In last 3 months 34% of
students bullied others online
 Called others names or made
them feel bad
 Threatened
 Spread rumours
 Pretended to be the person
 Sent private pictures of person
 Sent sexual pictures to person that
made them feel bad
 Asked person to do something
sexual they didn’t want to do

35. Who is Doing the
Cyber Bullying?

36. Myth of Anonymity
 Cyber bullying is
not anonymous
 Occurs in kids’
social worlds /
networks

37. Intent: Bullied vs.
those who bully

38. Current study: Motivations for Cyber Bullying:
A Longitudinal & Multi-Perspective Inquiry
Co-Investigators: Wendy Craig, Tanya Beran, Debra Pepler,
Judith Wiener, & Mona Khoury-Kassabri
Collaborator: David Johnston
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

39. Current Study
 In partnership with the Toronto District
School Board
 3-year longitudinal study
 19 schools drawn randomly
• 682 students
• Grades 4, 7 & 10
 Children, their parents & teachers
 Representative of Toronto’s
ethnocultural diversity
Currently in year 2

40. Study Objectives
1. Explore students’ experiences & conceptions of
cyber bullying
2. Explore the definitions & views of cyber bullying of
parents & teachers
3. Explore how children & youth view the underlying
motivations for cyber bullying
4. Document the development, shifting roles, & rates
of cyber bullying victimization & perpetration
5. Identify risk & protective factors for involvement in
cyber bullying

41. Methodology
 Longitudinal multi-informant mixed
methods study
• Longitudinal quantitative design
• Grounded theory
 Preliminary findings
• Univariate & bivariate analysis of
survey results
• Chi-square test of significance in
bivariate relationships

42. Measures
 Demographic Form
 Cyber Usage Form
 Youth Self-Report, Child Behaviour
Checklist, Teacher Report Form
 Self-Perception Profile for Children
(SPCC) / Self-Perception Profile for
Adolescents (SPCA)
 Social Support Scale for Children /
Social Support Behaviors Scale
 Interviews with students, parents &
teachers

43. Demographics
 Female
60%
 Grade 4 = 24%
Male 40%
Grade 7 = 36%
Grade 10 = 40%
 65% of students were born in Canada

8% identified as having a disability
 Low need school
 Medium need school
 High need school
37%
23%
40%

44. Time Spent Online
For how long have you been going online
(years)?
 Grade 4 average = 3.5 years
 Grade 7 average = 5 years
 Grade 10 average = 6 years
 No significant difference by gender

45. Time Spent Online
How many hours a day do you go online?
 Grade 4 average = 2 hours
 Grade 7 average = 2.5 hours
 Grade 10 average = 4 hours
* No significant difference by gender

46. Percent of Students Who Reported
Victimization (last 30 days)
20%
15%
15%
Traditional
Bully Victim
10%
6%
5%
7%
Cyber Bully
Victim
3%
2%
1%
0%
Once or Twice Three or Four
Times
Every Day
*No significant difference by gender

47. Percent of Victimization by
Type of Bullying & Grade
50%
42%
40%
Traditional
Bully
30%
25%
20%
13%
13%
10%
Cyber Bully
12%
7%
0%
Grade 4
p<.001 for traditional bullying
p< .05 for cyber bullying
Grade 7
Grade 10

48. Percent of Students Witnessing Bullying
40%
31%
30%
20%
Traditional
Bully Witness
18%
15%
Cyber Bully
Witness
10%
4%
6%
2%
0%
Once or Twice
Three or Four
Times
Every Day
*No significant difference by gender

49. Percent of Students
Reporting Bullying Others
15%
10%
8%
5%
3%
0%
Traditional Bully
Cyber Bully
*No significant difference by grade or gender

50. Parent Reporting of Children’s
Cyber Bullying Involvement
Parents reported higher rates for
their children’s involvement in
cyber bullying
 14% of parents indicated their
child was cyber bullied
 7% of parents indicated their
child cyber bullied other(s)

51. Teacher Reporting of Students’
Cyber Bullying Involvement
How often does cyber bullying occur in the
grade you teach?
50%
40%
40%
28%
30%
19%
20%
11%
10%
2%
0%
Never
Rarely
Often
Very Often Don't Know

52. Teachers & Parents:
Views on Gender Differences
Teachers & parents were asked if they
thought one gender cyber bullied more
 46% of teachers responded YES
– Of those teachers, 100% thought
females cyber bullied more
 39% of parents responded YES
– Of those parents, 78% thought females
cyber bullied more
*No significant difference in student reported cyber bullying by gender

53. Overlap of Cyber & Traditional
Bullying Involvement
 74% of students who report being victims of
cyber bullying also report traditional bullying
victimization
 50% of students who report cyber bullying
others also report taking part in traditional
bullying others

54. Motivations for Cyber Bullying
Students were asked why they think
youth cyber bully
 Grade 4 top ranked statements:
1) It’s a way to feel powerful
2) Nobody knows who they are
3) Nobody sees them so they
don't feel ashamed

55. Motivations for Cyber Bullying
 Grade 7 top ranked statements:
1) It’s a way to feel powerful
2) Nobody sees them so don't feel
ashamed
3) It's easy to press “send”
 Grade 10 top ranked statements:
1) It’s a way to feel powerful
2) It's easy to press “send”
3) They can get away with it

56. Students in Distress
 Anticipated that a number of students would be
identified as “in distress”
 Protocol put in place to identify students needing
help; we make referrals to school social workers
 Unanticipated finding: the high number of students
“in distress” & the level of intensity of their distress
 Both significant & worrying

57. Students in Distress
 23% of students were identified as “in distress”
• Due to various issues, including bullying & cyber bullying
 67% Female/ 33% male
 52% of students in distress had told someone about the distress
 “Low Need School” students significantly less likely in distress
 Grade 10 “High Need School” girls more often in distress
 Males less likely to seek help from anyone for distress
 37% of students identified: suicidal thoughts /plans / attempts

58. Students in Distress
 48% of students in distress reported cyber &/or
traditional bullying involvement
 15% of students in distress had cyber bullying
involvement
 54% of students in distress required social work
assistance & were referred through the study
• 12.2% of the overall sample
 2/3 of students in distress who had received
professional assistance did not find it helpful

59. Students in Distress
 Students who appeared to be in high level of distress
commonly had bullying/cyber bullying involvement as
well as other sources of distress
• 56% of these students had bullying involvement of
some kind
 Females were more likely to appear to be in high level
of distress than males
 Preliminary analysis suggests high level of distress
correlated with not seeking help, not disclosing
distress to adults, & not requesting help through study

60. Disclosure & Distress: Reasons Students Don’t Tell
Protecting Self
Protecting Others
Advice/Help
Won’t Be Effective
From Emotional
Responses
From
Consequences
Protecting SelfImage & Sense
of Self
Protecting
Others’ Feelings
Protecting
Others from
Consequences
Advice/Help Won't be
Effective
• Fear of
Judgement
/what others
will think,
rejection,
anger, blame
• Doesn't want
problems
minimized
• Doesn't want
/ upsetting to
talk about it
• Don't/won't
listen
• Didn't want to
“make a big
deal”
• Family
doesn't talk
about /share
feelings
• Will get in
trouble, be
grounded
(e.g., for
cutting, for
bullying )
• Prides self
on being
independent
• Burden on
parents
• Doesn't
want to get
friends in
trouble
• They didn’t know what to
do - They don't
understand the cyber
world
• “Didn't
want to be
the one to
cause/ bring
the trouble”
to family
• Don't understand
student's
emotions/feelings
• Parents
taking away
technology
• Doesn't want
to be a
“burden” on
parents
• “Didn't want
to be the one
to cause /
bring the
trouble”
• Doesn't want
parents to feel
bad, blamed
• Doesn't want
to bother
other people
with own sad/
hard feelings
• They don't do anything
• Adults/resources & their
strategies are ineffective,
not helpful
• He/she won't be believed

61. The New Cyber World
 Cyber bullying
must be
understood in the
context of the
new cyber world

62. The Cyber World has
Tremendous Benefits
 Can be used for good & for ill
 Adults must recognize that the Internet
is a real & legitimate social world for
children & youth
 Adults must recognize that the Internet is
not a passing phase
 Must understand the cyber world &
importance for youth
 Must learn about sites children &
youth visit

63. What Can We Do?
Removing Access is
no Solution
 Losing computer or cell
phone access feels like
punishment to children &
youth
 Loss of connection with
their social world

64. Education & Training
 Adults require knowledge
about forms of cyber risk
• Education to help identify
& respond appropriately
 Should focus on safe use of
technology & harmful
consequences of risky
interactions

65. Minimizing Cyber
Risk & Ensuring
Cyber Safety
 Children, youth, & adults must
be aware of & understand
cyber risk
 There are risks that can be
minimized & addressed but
not totally removed

66. Addressing Social Ecology
 Must address problematic societal
norms & values
 Collaborate with others to change
attitudes that condone
violence, racism, homophobia
 Create opportunities for positive
contact among young people from
various groups

67. What Adults / Parents Can Do
 Adult supervision of technology challenging
 Especially with shift to handheld devices
 Parents faced with accepting their children’s
unavoidable autonomy in the cyber world, while
also trying to monitor their activities
 Must maintain open lines of communication
(Bumpus
& Werner, 2009)
 Must encourage young people to use information
& communication technologies in positive ways

68. What Adults / Parents Can Do
 Be supportive
 Parental support is associated with lower levels of cyber
bullying involvement (Wang et al., 2009)
 Supportive parenting involves
 Understanding youth’s perspectives & meaning of technology
in their social lives
 Taking a non-judgmental stance toward young people & the
social media world
 Becoming a safe haven for youth when troubling experiences
occur online
 Developing critical thinking skills & problem solving strategies
in partnership with children & youth

69. What Adults / Parents Can Do
 Create environments in which children & youth
feel safe disclosing cyber bullying
 Disclosure may be difficult because of fear of
losing technological privileges (Agatston et al., 2007; Cassidy et
al., 2009)
 Ability for youth to tell adults is critical as delaying
disclosure delays receiving help

70. Conclusions
 Cyber world is complex, pervasive, here to stay
 Overlap & distinctions between online & offline
bullying
 Cyber bullying can be devastating
 Adults must be supportive & accepting toward
youth regarding their technology use
 Adults must maintain open communication to
help youth with technology use & problems that
may arise
 Adults must be a safe haven & resource for
problem solving
 Develop / evaluate intervention & prevention
programs

71. Thank you!
Faye Mishna
f.mishna@utoronto.ca