PARTICIPATE · Parents and Technology in Cyberbullying: Intervention and Prevention for Future Experts.

Parents and Technology in Cyberbullying: Intervention and Prevention for Future Experts.

Cyberbullying is a significant social, health and behavioural concern throughout the EU and worldwide. Despite this, a crucial area in its prevention and intervention has been overlooked, namely the key role of parents. Also frequently underestimated in cyberbullying research is the significance of race, class, gender and sexuality. The PARTICIPATE Doctoral Network project (https://msca-participate.eu/) addresses these research and action gaps by delivering a world-class multi-sectoral, multidisciplinary doctoral training program. By focusing on parents, the project will empower both parents and young people, creating a safer space online for youth in Europe. This Doctoral Network brings together leading international researchers in cyberbullying prevention, comprising 6 academic partners and 8 non-academic partners from NGOs, youth foundations and internet safety organisations. The project’s intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach is supported by four academic work packages, network-wide training, and academic and non-academic secondments. Its research will fill gaps in cyberbullying scholarship and produce practical toolkits, guidelines, and recommendations for parents, teachers, and government.. The key objectives of this project are: (1) To include parents in online bullying research Parents play a crucial role in the emotional and practical impact of online bullying, yet are often excluded from prevention efforts. This project aims to create an interdisciplinary network of researchers and practitioners to address the under-researched intersection of parents, online bullying, and technology. (2) To break through disciplinary orthodoxies and advance new methods Bullying and cyberbullying research is often limited by reliance on specific disciplinary methodologies. This consortium includes academic partners from Education, Sociology, Psychology, Gender Studies, and Internet Studies. The interdisciplinary collaboration allows Doctoral Candidates to develop cutting-edge, innovative, multi-method research, advancing online bullying studies. (3) To advance intersectoral capacity Non-academic experts, Dell Technologies and the International Parents Association, Foróige, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Youthworks, Webwise) collaborate in training and mentoring Doctoral Candidates, ensuring research is practical and problem-focused. Conversely, Doctoral candidates provide expertise to non-academic stakeholders, enhancing innovation and job opportunities through knowledge exchange. 4) To produce tangible outputs This project will produce 10 PhDs, 7-12 academic publications per work package, and several practical resources, including: a policy advocacy toolkit on cyberbullying, a parent toolkit for teachers, and government recommendations on parent-teacher cooperation and the need for digital media literacy to support young people in cyberbullying prevention. These resources will draw on the findings of all 10 PhDs, as well as on the Doctoral candidates’ experiences of working ‘in the field’ with anti-bullying organisations, and will involve the input of all academic and non-academic stakeholders. (5) To shape policy and foster cross-national cooperation PARTICIPATE is a unique action that involves 6 academic and 8 non-academic partners from across Europe, bringing together wide ranging experience and expertise essential for the training of a new generation of innovative researchers. The network is a vital hub through which the researchers compare international policies, encouraging sharing of datasets, nationally published guidelines around bullying, and best practice in different countries, with the aim of moving towards common guidelines for the European Community.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union