Electronic Harassment: Assessment, Associations and Policy, Washington, 2013-2015

Bullying behaviors are common among adolescents and are associated with numerous negative health and social consequences that can persist into adulthood for victims, bullies and bystanders. More recently, bullying behaviors have migrated to online platforms where they are not well understood and lack standardized definitions. Thus, current efforts to understand prevalence and promote appropriate policies lack a strong evidence base.
By applying Concept Mapping and recruiting participants, including adolescents and professionals representing education, health and the justice system, the study team attempts to fills these gaps by creating a standardized definition of electronic harassment and an associated measurement tool. Further outcomes will include several manuscripts describing the findings submitted to health and social science conferences and journals, and dissemination efforts involving community leaders and local media. Upon successful completion of these objectives the diverse and multidisciplinary research team will disseminate these findings in the public health, education and policy arenas.