Monday, March 27, 2023

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Mobilizing Georgia voters in a non-election year is crucial for voting rights groups, Philadelphians over 50 will play a major role in the mayoral primary, and the EPA is finalizing a new air quality rule.

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Michigan becomes the first state in decades to repeal a "right to work" law, death penalty opponents say President Biden is not keeping campaign promises to halt federal executions, and more states move to weaken child labor protection laws.

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Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

UNH Center Works to Prevent Online Violence Against Children

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Tuesday, December 27, 2022   

The University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center has teamed up with the World Health Organization to help parents learn the best and most effective ways to protect their children online. The Center's latest report highlights the importance of school-based programs to teach youths specific life skills such as assertiveness, emotion management and seeking help.

David Finkelhor, Crimes against Children Research Center Director, said actively teaching kids how to use these skills online can make all the difference when they encounter cyberbullying or even attempts at identity theft.

"Not just to hear about the importance, but to practice them, in role plays and dramatic re-enactments, those kinds of behaviors," he said.

Finkelhor said data also shows that prevention programs are more successful when they involve more lessons, more reminders, and follow-ups. A single assembly or puppet show is generally ineffective.

inkelhor said educators already have a lot on their plates but added violence prevention programs could easily be implemented into a school-wide curriculum, and went on to say more emphasis should be placed on acquaintance and peer perpetrators, since the majority of offenses online come from people children already know.

The concept of "stranger danger" is an easy one to teach, Finkelhor said, but teaching kids to always avoid unknown adults will have limited effect.

"That's not the most useful thing that we need to be teaching them," he said. "We really need to be teaching them what are inappropriate things for other people to start to do with them online."

Cyberbullying escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 59% of U.S. teens report they have been bullied or harassed online, and a similar number report it is a major problem for people their age. Finkelhor said the most effective prevention program will teach kids how to spot inappropriate behavior, how best to stop it and escape from it.


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