CYBERBULLYING BEHAVIORS AMONG FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS: WITNESSING, PERPETRATION, AND VICTIMIZATION.

PROBLEM: Cyberbullying is common among adolescents, and emerging studies also describe this phenomenon in college students. Less is known about specific cyberbullying behaviors and roles in cyberbullying incidents experienced by college females. METHODS: 249 female students from 4 colleges completed online surveys assessing involvement in 11 specific cyberbullying behaviors in any of the following roles: bully, victim, or witness. RESULTS: Nearly half (n = 110, 44.2%) of participants had experienced cyberbullying in college as a bully, victim, witness, or combination of the three. The most commonly witnessed behaviors included "posting degrading comments or hate speech" and "posting explicit or unwanted pictures." Over one third of the witnesses were classified as bystanders who purely observed cyberbullying without participating. CONCLUSIONS: Cyberbullying is common among college women, with more people witnessing behaviors than participating. Given the large proportion of witnesses, mobilizing bystanders is a potential target for cyberbullying in the college population.

Cyberbullying, depression, and problem alcohol use in female college students: a multisite study.

Cyberbullying and its effects have been studied largely in middle and high school students, but less is known about cyberbullying in college students. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between involvement in cyberbullying and depression or problem alcohol use among college females. Two hundred and sixty-five female students from four colleges completed online surveys assessing involvement in cyberbullying behaviors. Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depressive symptoms and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess problem drinking. Logistic regression tested associations between involvement in cyberbullying and either depression or problem drinking. Results indicated that 27% of participants had experienced cyberbullying in college; 17.4% of all participants met the criteria for depression (PHQ-9 score ≥10), and 37.5% met the criteria for problem drinking (AUDIT score ≥8). Participants with any involvement in cyberbullying had increased odds of depression. Those involved in cyberbullying as bullies had increased odds of both depression and problem alcohol use. Bully/victims had increased odds of depression. The four most common cyberbullying behaviors were also associated with increased odds for depression, with the highest odds among those who had experienced unwanted sexual advances online or via text message. Findings indicate that future longitudinal study of cyberbullying and its effects into late adolescence and young adulthood could contribute to the prevention of associated comorbidities in this population.

The Facebook influence model: a concept mapping approach.

Facebook is a popular social media Web site that has been hypothesized to exert potential influence over users' attitudes, intentions, or behaviors. The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to explain influential aspects of Facebook. This mixed methods study applied concept mapping methodology, a validated five-step method to visually represent complex topics. The five steps comprise preparation, brainstorming, sort and rank, analysis, and interpretation. College student participants were identified using purposeful sampling. The 80 participants had a mean age of 20.5 years, and included 36% males. A total of 169 statements were generated during brainstorming, and sorted into between 6 and 22 groups. The final concept map included 13 clusters. Interpretation data led to grouping of clusters into four final domains, including connection, comparison, identification, and Facebook as an experience. The Facebook Influence Concept Map illustrates key constructs that contribute to influence, incorporating perspectives of older adolescent Facebook users. While Facebook provides a novel lens through which to consider behavioral influence, it can best be considered in the context of existing behavioral theory. The concept map may be used toward development of potential future intervention efforts.

PEARLs of Wisdom: Impact of a New Block Conference on Pediatrics Resident Attendance, Satisfaction, and Learning.

BACKGROUND: Resident attendance and participation at didactic conferences is often limited owing to time demands. In 2010, University of Wisconsin-Madison pediatrics residency eliminated all noon conferences and implemented a new block format, PEARL (Pediatric Education and Active Resident Learning). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess whether changes in a conference structure improved resident attendance, distractibility, satisfaction, perception of clinical relevance, and connection. METHODS: Pediatrics residents were surveyed to compare experiences in 2 different conference structures: a traditional noon conference and an interactive case-based PEARL conference. Pediatrics residents from the 2008-2010 classes were surveyed about noon conference experiences and 2009-2011 classes were surveyed about PEARL conference experiences. RESULTS: Participants included 32 residents in the 2010 presurvey and 36 in the 2011 postsurvey. All measures of attendance, distractibility, and satisfaction showed positive changes. For example, the average proportion of conferences attended was 73% with noon conferences and 98% with PEARL (P  =  .001). However, measures of perceived clinical relevance and resident participation did not change significantly. For example, on average 47% of residents reported contributing comments in a noon conference, whereas 56% of residents reported contributing in a block conference (P  =  .199). CONCLUSIONS: PEARL conference significantly improved resident attendance, lowered distractibility, and improved resident satisfaction. However, these structural changes did not lead to changes in perceived clinical relevance of information learned or resident participation. Further content changes or faculty teaching strategies should be considered.