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 |