Daily HealthBeat Tip - January 25, 2008

Electronic aggression

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It’s new media, but this probably doesn’t count as progress. A kid can now threaten another kid by texting.

That’s a form of what’s called electronic aggression. It’s all the old stuff – teasing, being rude, lying about people, mocking them, or threatening – occurring through new technology.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been looking into the problem. CDC officials say a lot is not yet known. But researcher Marci Hertz says being a victim can hurt some kids:

``For example, they’re more likely to get detention, to skip school, to be suspended, have behavioral problems, and experience distress as a result of their victimization.’’ (9 seconds)

Hertz’s colleague Corinne Ferdon says parents can do a lot to deal with electronic aggression. Parents should talk with their children about their technology use and connect with others to develop solutions.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 24 2008