COST IS0801: networking action on Cyberbullying 22-23 August, 2009, Vilnius, Lithuania

New networking action on Cyberbullying already involves 23 countries.  Working Groups taking forward 4-year program of activities.  First workshop in Vilnius in August 2009.

The European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) has launched a new Action: COST IS0801: Cyberbullying: Coping with negative and enhancing positive uses of new technologies, in relationships in educational settings. A COST Action funds meetings, workshops and seminars, scientific visits, training schools, and dissemination.  This Action started on October 22nd 2008 and continues for 4 years. 

Cyberbullying refers to bullying and harassment of others by means of new electronic technologies, primarily mobile phones and the internet. Cyberbullying has arisen and increased in the last few years. Researchers, pupils, parents, teachers, unions, and local, regional and national authorities, are all grappling with the issues involved, together with mobile phone companies and internet service providers.

There are also positive uses of new technologies for relationships in schools; for example, using a school intranet for peer support services.

The detailed objectives of the Action are:

• Sharing of developing expertise in knowledge base and measurement techniques across researchers
• Sharing of input from outside the research community; specifically, from legal experts; and from mobile phone companies and internet service providers
• Sharing of already published national guidelines, and recommended coping strategies, in different countries, including positive uses of new technologies in the relationships area; moving towards a common set of guidelines applicable for the European Community.
• Increased awareness of the issue, and of the outcomes of the Action, to likely beneficiaries of the Action.

There are already 22 COST countries involved in the Management Committee, plus Australia as a non-COST country. 

The 1st workshop will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 22-23 August, 2009.  Posters and contributions on cyberbullying are invited: see the Action website or contact the organizer, menesini@psico.unifi.it, or the Action Chair, p.smith@gold.ac.uk

The Action website is
 http://www.cost.esf.org/index.php?id=233&action_number=IS0801

KEYWORDS:  Cyberbullying Bullying Networks

AUDIENCE: primarily professionals