Using the quality circle approach to empower disadvantaged youth in addressing cyberbullying: an exploration across five European countries

Digital communication technologies play an important role in the social development of young people, but can create vulnerabilities to cyberbullying and other negative online experiences. The Blurred Lives project aimed to tackle cyberbullying innovatively using a co-participatory approach, collaborating with 14–16-year olds living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage in five European countries. In phase one, 2,658 teenagers were surveyed on their internet use and any unpleasant online experiences. This data informed the second phase where the participating countries worked together with 237 adolescents across 10 schools with adult facilitators to create original anti-cyberbullying resources for teachers, parents/carers, peers, and social media providers using the Quality Circle approach. This methodology adopts an ethos of working together to solve a problem in small, peer-led groups. Each group was tasked with creating a resource for one of the target audience groups. The final resources comprise a rich variety of different formats including videos, comic strips, a board game, leaflets, posters, and newsletters. The pupil feedback highlights, for most but not all participants, an increased knowledge of cyberbullying and e-safety skills, as well as enhanced problem-solving skills, levels of confidence, and group work skills. Several operational challenges are also discussed, including the importance of school-level support, planning, staffing, and finding an appropriate balance between facilitator support and pupil agency

The effect of a prepayment meter on residential gas consumption.

This study examined the effect of prepayment gas meters (households pay for their gas as they use it) as a feedback instrument on gas consumption by households. Furthermore, behavioral determinants of the reduction in gas consumption were studied. Half of the households in the experimental group were issued a notebook allowing them to compare their gas consumption with a self-set goal. The results revealed that households with a prepayment meter reduced their annual gas consumption by 4.1% compared with the control group; the notebook did not result in additional savings. Furthermore, changes in objective gas consumption were related to self-reported changes in intention toward reducing consumption

Innovating diffusion of innovation theory: innovation characteristics and the intention of utility companies to adopt energy conservation interventions

The main purpose of the study presented here was to assess the capacity of the innovation attributes proposed in Rogers' diffusion theory (1995) to predict the intention to adopt energy conservation interventions. It also provided a first test of some refinements to Rogers' theory, proposed by Darley and Beniger (1981). Furthermore, as an elaboration of diffusion theory, this study examined whether the assessment of innovation attributes is a stepwise process. Questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Results indicate that perceived compatibility is a general and important predictor of the intention to adopt energy conservation interventions. Support was found for some of the refinements to diffusion theory proposed by Darley and Beniger (1981). Moreover, the study partly confirmed the idea that the evaluation of an innovation on its attributes is a stepwise process. For two of the four energy conservation interventions it was found that the intervention was first of all judged on its advantage. If the perceived advantage was minor, a potential adopter often decided to reject an innovation solely on the basis of this assessment. If the perceived advantage was high, the evaluation process usually continued; perceived compatibility then became the second evaluation criterion. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed

Determinants of Defending in Prejudice-Based Bullying Situations

No abstract available

Using a Games Approach to Teach Children About Discriminatory Bullying (GATE_BULL). Intellectual Output 1 Report to European Commission: Determinants of Involvement in Prejudice-based Bullying Situations and Bystander Intervention

No abstract available

Tackling cyberbullying: Review of empirical evidence

The present literature review summarizes current knowledge on successful responses to cyberbullying. We differentiate between three different response domains: reducing risks, combatting the problem, and buffering negative impact. A systematic literature search was conducted yielding 36 relevant studies. Most of these report findings regarding general prevention strategies (e.g., anti-bullying policies or cybersafety strategies) and the use of coping strategies such as seeking support, reactions towards cyberbullies (retaliation or confronting), technical solutions and avoidant and emotion-focused strategies. Whilst a few studies reported on perceived success, very few studies measure the success of the strategies in relation to cyberbullying, its risks and outcomes. In summary, although there are a number of studies investigating responses to cyberbullying, there is a clear lack of evidence concerning the question “what are successful responses”?