Mobistealth sat down with Dr. Justin W. Patchin, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center to talk about the issue at hand. Dr. Patchin is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he’s authored several books outlining how to deal with cyberbullying. In this interview he talks to Mobistealth about the steps that both parents and teachers can take to ensure that the teens attached to them develop in a positive environment, free of cyberbullying.

You can listen to the entire interview here:

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The complete transcript of the interview can be read here:

Justin Patchin: Morning, this is Justin.

Mobistealth: Hi there, thank you for joining Mobistealth for this interview. How are you?

Justin Patchin: Not too bad, how about yourself.

Mobistealth: I’m good, should I just start with the questions?

Justin Patchin: Sure.

Mobistealth: There are two forms of bullying that we want to discuss basically. There is the physical thing that happens on ground in schools, and then there is cyber bullying itself. Which do you think is more harmful? 

Justin Patchin: Well, it depends on the type and it depends on the person, and then it depends on what’s happening. It depends on the person who is experiencing these things. We see examples where the psychological, relational, emotional [impact] of bullying is carried out. Using technology can be just as harmful if not worse for some teens, whereas, the in person face-to-face stuff is pretty bad for others. It really depends a lot on what exactly is being done and who is being affected.

Mobistealth: In a situation where, for instance, a picture goes much further than a conversation does, wouldn’t you say that it’s much worse than physical bullying?

Justin Patchin: Depends. What if you’re beat up and physically assaulted and, you know, tormented physically. That’s a lot more hurtful than a picture. That’s more harmful than a picture.

Mobistealth: Educators have been trying to deal with cyber bullying and they’ve come up short in terms of options. Why do you think they’re having trouble dealing with the situation?

Justin Patchin: Right. Educators need to be more educated about the problem so that they can respond to it more effectively. Just this idea that they are concerned and they don’t know the extent to which they can get involved in cases, incidents that are initiated or carried out away from school. Some believe that they can’t get involved in those kind of cases and of course they can. They can get involved in anything that results in a substantial distraction in the learning environment at school and infringes on the rights of other students, at least in the United States. A part of my work involves educating them about the standards and talking about what they can do in these kind of situations.

Mobistealth: Do you think there should be stricter laws against cyberbullying?

Justin Patchin: Not really. I don’t think so. I think the vast majority of cyberbullying cases can and should be handled informally by parents, schools, and the community at the local level. I think if a case does rise to the level where a criminal response is necessary we already have laws on the books to handle those kind of situations; such as harassment, or stalking, or felonious assault, or hate speech and things like that. I’d hate to criminalize the behavior even further.

Mobistealth: But aren’t laws generally not as strict for minors?

Justin Patchin: Yes, and no, I mean that is true across the board. I don’t think the laws are less strict but the punishments usually are reduced because of the diminished capacity of minors to understand the consequences of the behavior. That is true but certainly in Unites States we have a number of mechanisms for cases, where if the behavior of a juvenile is believed to rise to the level of an adult, and we have that level of sophistication, that can be tried in the adult court and therefore receive the same sentences.

Mobistealth: What steps do you think educators can actually take to minimize the impact of the damage that cyberbullying causes?

Justin Patchin: I think again it goes back to educating the students; so talking and having educators talk with their own students about cyber bullying and the consequences for the victim,the target or the person who is engaging in those behaviors and then ultimately gets punished. In my work I find that a lot of kids doing the behaviors don’t realize that what they are doing is so harmful and I think they need to be aware of that and then some perspective of the target, those who are being victimized need to understand how to get help. Hopefully they have adults in the school that they can trust that will help them get the behavior to stop.

Mobistealth: What are some substantial red flags for parents? Or symptoms that point towards a bullied teen?

Justin Patchin: I think it’s tough because the standard answer to that question is that you should look for abnormal behavior, but of course abnormal behavior is sort of a hallmark to adolescence. I think it’s one of those things where educators and parents and other adults that work with youth have to use their intuition and their knowledge of particular students, and they can tell if something is wrong and something is not right. When behaviors change, when friendships seem to change rapidly, especially if it relates to cyber bullying then when online behavior patterns change; so you have a student who is regularly online but suddenly doesn’t want to have anything to do with technology there might be a problem. But you know it all comes down to caring adults and watching over kids and talking to them and hopefully developing that relationship, that communication avenue, so that hopefully kids will confide in them when something does happen.

Mobistealth: But parents don’t generally know patterns – online trends and patterns – when it comes to their teens. How is a parent supposed to follow up on that?

Justin Patchin: Let me give you an example: if your child typically gets home from work or from school and are typically on Facebook for three hours a day and all of a suddenly they don’t want to have anything to do with Facebook or they are constantly texting and now they don’t want anything to do with their cell phone, then clearly there is something is going on. So it opens an opportunity for parents to talk to their kids, or educators to talk to their students if they notice these kind of different behaviors… to just ask them what’s going on and to maybe talk about other incidents that might have happened whether it’s locally, nationally, or worldwide. You know… cyberbullying incidents… and ask them if these kind of things happen in our school. Hopefully that will open up the opportunity to start a conversation about cyber bullying and hopefully that will allow students to come forward. The reality is that a lot of kids are afraid to confide in an adult because they are afraid that it will make matters worse and that the parents are going to respond by taking away the technology instead of stopping the bullying. The onus is really on adults to respond to these problems more effectively so that our kids are willing to talk with us about what they are experiencing.

Mobistealth: Are there any actions that parents can take digitally to ensure that their teens are safer?      

Justin Patchin: Yes, and no. A lot of it depends on the stage that the child is at with regards to online behaviors and interactions and there is no piece of software which one can put on a machine to prevent these things from happening. We don’t think it’s a good idea to employ spy software for example because of two things. First of all, we don’t think it is effective because students will move to other devices or use the computer at the library at the school or at a friend’s house, and secondly, if you’re surreptitiously monitoring the behavior of your child online, eventually you’re going to find something which you need to confront them about and when you do, they are pretty much never going to tell you anything ever again. It’s going to damage the relationship so much that it’s going to be hard for there to be a trusting relationship where your kid will talk to you about stuff. It’s very risky to utilize technological solutions. Not only are they risky, but they’re messy and in many cases ineffective.

Mobistealth: In our experience some single parents use tools and apps to keep a close check on their teens because they can’t help it. In such cases do you think parents are left with no course of action other than using tools like these?

Justin Patchin: Yes, one can develop a communication relationship with their child so that they understand that there are certain appropriate and inappropriate behaviors online and when you can monitor the behaviors of your child online, sort of physically, you don’t need an app for that. Just check in on them, check what they are doing, check who they are texting. You can see that on their cell phone bills and check the history of their computer. If you do that, it’s very important that you tell them. I don’t think monitoring software’s that effective because a) you are going to find something and you’re going to have to consult them about it, and b) if they are going to get around it, they’re going to get around it. They are going to use another device.

Mobistealth: What do you think are immediate psychological problems that kids can face because of cyberbullying?

Justin Patchin: Well we’ve seen a gamut. We’ve seen anger, frustration, low self-esteem, suicidal ideation and so we’ve done quite a bit of work on that and I encourage you to check out our website cyberbullying.us. where we’ve written quite a bit of research that has been associated with these kind of responses.

Mobistealth: What do you think are the long term problems that they might end up with?

Justin Patchin: It’s difficult to say because technology has not been around for that long, right? So, if we are talking really long term like 20 or 30 years, then we haven’t really seen the consequences there, that remains to be seen. We do see long term consequences of traditional bullying and you know distrust in relationships and other problem behaviors, and low self esteem. It would lead one to believe that these would also exist from cyber bullying as well.

Mobistealth: Cyber bullying is different, we agree there. You can’t just predict.

Justin Patchin: Yes, it’s still pretty early.

Mobistealth: Alright, thank you so much Dr. Patchin for the valuable time and information that you’ve provided us today.

Justin Patchin: Good talking  with you and I wish you the best of luck.

Mobistealth: Thank you, good bye

Justin Patching: take care.

]]> http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/dissecting-cyberbullying-interview-with-dr-justin-w-patchin/feed/ 0 http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/facebook-misuse-stats/ http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/facebook-misuse-stats/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:15:03 +0000 admin http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=1068 Facebook is booming and business has never been better for the social media giant. However, it’s proliferation in the last few years has resulted in some unintended and unwanted consequences. The alarming numbers on Facebook are on the rise and further climbing. Be it a teen or an employee – effort is needed to ensure that the damaging impact of Facebook is contained and curbed – this is where tools such as the Facebook spy come in. Teens can end up being a victim of Facebook depression just like employees can end up getting their firm into trouble by posting a rant online. Parents can lose their teens in a forest of problems associated with the social media giant and employers can get caught in a great storm by ignoring the same. So you think Facebook is as damaging as we do?

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<a href="http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/cell-phone-web-perfect-valentines-day-cupids/"><img src="http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cell-phone-valentine-cupid.jpg" alt="Cell Phone and Web: perfect Valentine Cupids" width="660" border="0" /></a><br />Source: <a href="http://www.mobistealth.com">MobiStealth</a></textarea><br /> <h3 style="text-align: left;">Embed this infographic on your site!</h3><br /> <textarea style="margin: 2px; height: 70px; width: 660px;" onclick="this.select();" rows="3" cols="70"><a href="http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/cell-phone-web-perfect-valentines-day-cupids/"><img src="http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cell-phone-valentine-cupid.jpg" alt="Cell Phone and Web: perfect Valentine Cupids" width="660" border="0" /></a><br />Source: <a href="http://www.mobistealth.com">MobiStealth</a></textarea>

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The study found 89 percent of undergraduates reported experiencing this sensation at least once. The students felt the false buzzing at least one every two weeks on average, while other dealt with it much more often.

The researchers determined this to be either a misinterpretation of sensory input, a form of social contagion or just a hallucination. They also looked at the type of personalities were associated with the higher instances of the syndrome as well as looked how often these individuals used their phones.

They identified two separate personality traits that were associated with higher incidences of phantom vibration syndrome. Those who were extroverts and neurotics were the most likely to feel the sensation. Extroverts likely experience it because they check their phones often to keep in touch with friends, as this is an important part of their life. Neurotics likely check their phones often because they are worrying about their relationships, the study authors explain. Also, those who spent the most time on their phones were more likely to experience the syndrome.

According to Mashable, the researchers do not consider this syndrome to be an actual disease. Instead, they believe it happens the same way someone will think their name is being called. In some cases, the brain hiccups in a sense, and people hear something incorrectly. This syndrome seems to be the same sensation.

“Presumably, if individuals considered these imagined vibrations ‘pathological tactile hallucinations,’ they would feel bothered that they had them. Instead, it is likely that individuals consider these phantom vibrations a normal part of the human-mobile phone interactive experience,” the study authors wrote.

This isn’t the first time a phobia or syndrome has been linked to a person’s view of their cell phone. Those who find themselves anxious and worried about losing their device may want to implement a cell phone tracking software. This will allow the owner to track their phone if it is lost or stolen as well as notify them if someone is trying to access personal information on the phone.

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Social media has become an everyday part of a number of American’s lives, and this is especially true for the younger generation. As a result, parents need to find a good balance between monitoring their child’s behavior and allowing them to make their own mistakes.

A recent report issued by a professor at the College of Human Services at Kansas State University looked at the issues in preventing cyberbullying and protecting a child’s privacy while online. Also, many parents have struggled with how much information they should share about their children on Facebook.

“Facebook is a tool that could be used for good or bad,” said report author Chuck Smith. “It’s up to parents to help their children understand how to use it well and be vigilant about misuse.”

The biggest concern, which drives many moms and dads to invest in parental monitoring software, is cyberbullying. Parents should take the time to read all of the posts the child puts online in order to ensure they are behaving as well as not becoming victims to cyberbullying. Certain security settings are important as well, but how much a parent monitors their child changes as the kid becomes older.

“The impact on relationships could be with children regarding parents as too intrusive in their personal lives,” Smith said. “Though as long as the children are living in the home, parents have every right to be vigilant. For parents, vigilance changes with the child’s age, but you still have to be responsible.”

Communication is important when it comes to social media, as parents need to lay out guidelines for using the websites. This way, the child will be fully informed about what is right and wrong on these sites, and they are more apt to tell a parent about something suspicious.

“The younger generation is very much an online generation,” Smith said. “We have to be realistic and teach them about the danger and responsibility of posting online and considering what they might say and how they might react. Parents who are overly restrictive might lose their opportunity.”

In addition, parents need to educate themselves on how to properly use Facebook so they can protect their children.

A recent survey conducted by TRUSTe, an online and mobile privacy management solutions provider, showed consumers are more aware than ever before about mobile and internet security, and rank it as a top priority.

The online survey, which was compiled from the responses of 1,033 U.S. adults and 554 smartphone users, showed 94 percent of consumers consider privacy an important issue. In addition, 58 percent dislike online behavioral advertising (OBA), which gives advertisers a one-up as it uses computer monitoring software to keep track of what a person searches for.

The survey also showed 42 percent of smartphone users saw privacy as a top concern, and 85 percent reported they would not download an application they do not trust.

What’s more, 60 percent said they feel more concerned about their online privacy than they did a year ago. This illustrates more businesses need to make privacy and security a top priority when developing new systems and software.

Plus, people are taking their security into their own hands, as 69 percent said they trust themselves when it comes to their personal information, which is up from 45 percent in 2011. Also, 76 percent reported they do not allow companies to share personal information with a third party, and 35 percent said they have stopped doing business with a company because their website rose some privacy concerns.

When it comes to OBA, 50 percent opted out of OBA when they could to protect their privacy, and this nearly doubled from 27 percent in 2011. Also, 40 percent said OBA made them uncomfortable. In addition, more people are aware of what OBA is (83 percent) compared to last year (70 percent).

“Big data is exploding, causing monumental changes in the way that personal information can be accessed and used online – through more pervasive and powerful mobile devices, emerging cloud services and the rapid growth of online behavioral advertising,” said Chris Babel, CEO of TRUSTe. “Our 2012 findings show that managing consumer concerns through good privacy practices must remain on the forefront in order to stem mistrust. With increased understanding about choices, the survey also shows that consumers react more positively to the potential value of new online technologies, such as OBA.”

A recent study conducted by the Pew Research and American Life Project found many cell phone owners are doing various things on their mobile devices while they watch TV.

The study, which surveyed 2,254 people from March and April of this year, showed 52 percent of cell phones owners use their phones while sitting back and watching the tube. When it comes to what they are doing on their devices, 38 responded they were using them to keep them occupied during commercial breaks and 23 percent said they were texting another person who was watching the same show at a different location.

In addition, 22 percent reported they check to see if something that was said on the show was true or not, whereas 20 percent were searching for sites mentioned on the show. Moreover, 11 percent said they were looking to see what other viewers were saying about the program, and another 11 percent were using their device to post comments themselves. Finally, only 6 percent reported they used their phone to vote for a reality show contestant.

What’s more, the survey also found those who own a smartphone are much more likely to use their device while watching TV – 74 percent of smartphone owners reported utilizing their phones in comparison with 27 percent of non-smartphone owners. The survey did not look into the possibility of tablet users accessing their iPads while watching TV.

The study also showed different demographics. Those in homes with incomes greater than $50,000 were more likely to use their phone while watching TV over those with lower incomes.

According to CNET, these findings may prompt advertisers to create a more interactive experience for the viewers. They may also use this information to get engage people by using their phone to interact as a marketing strategy. However, viewers may not do any more than check websites or update statuses.

One thing’s for sure, people are spending more and more time on their mobile phones. Those who are nervous about losing their phone may want to think about implementing cell phone monitoring software. Not only can this give the owner the exact location of their device, but it can also notify them if someone is trying to access their phone.