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Most adolescents and young adults have experienced bullying in some form, with about one-third of them experiencing cyberbullying, contributing to mental health concerns. Cyberbullying involves electronic communication such as texts, emails, online videos and social media, which has become increasingly problematic over the last few decades. Several reasons include the anonymity it allows, the fact that it is not as easily monitored, and that adolescents and young adults have easier access to devices.
In an article published in the journal Primary Care Clinical Office Practice , physicians from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine recommend primary care physicians screen adolescents and young adults for inappropriate or misuse of social media and cyberbullying utilizing screening tools developed for use in the health care setting.
“As primary-care physicians, it is our job to screen and evaluate things that can harm our patients,” said Jennifer Caceres, M.D., first author, senior associate dean for student affairs and admissions and an associate professor of medicine in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “Among these responsibilities includes screening for social media use, bullying, cyberbullying, mental health issues, as well as countless others.”
Caceres and Allison M. Holley, M.D., corresponding author and an assistant professor of family medicine in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine, point out that only half of health care providers who see pediatric patients were found to be consistently screening for bullying. They say this is partially because there aren’t many screening tools specifically designed for health care settings. Among the screening tools they recommend that are available for health care providers include the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (R-OBVQ), the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS), the Child Adolescent Bullying Scale (CABS) and the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC).
“It is staggering that only 23 percent of students who were cyberbullied reported it to an adult at their school, which shows that many incidences go unreported. This is another crucial reason why we need to screen patients as well as educate parents,” said Holley. “A screening tool of the providers’ choice should be worked into the work-flow of pediatric visits to ensure that screening is consistently done and results are addressed in a timely manner.”
Among resources available is a Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Health Care Providers ,” developed by the Cyberbullying Research Center , which is co-directed by Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., professor, FAU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University .
www.fau.edu
In an article published in the journal Primary Care Clinical Office Practice , physicians from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine recommend primary care physicians screen adolescents and young adults for inappropriate or misuse of social media and cyberbullying utilizing screening tools developed for use in the health care setting.
“As primary-care physicians, it is our job to screen and evaluate things that can harm our patients,” said Jennifer Caceres, M.D., first author, senior associate dean for student affairs and admissions and an associate professor of medicine in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “Among these responsibilities includes screening for social media use, bullying, cyberbullying, mental health issues, as well as countless others.”
Caceres and Allison M. Holley, M.D., corresponding author and an assistant professor of family medicine in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine, point out that only half of health care providers who see pediatric patients were found to be consistently screening for bullying. They say this is partially because there aren’t many screening tools specifically designed for health care settings. Among the screening tools they recommend that are available for health care providers include the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (R-OBVQ), the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS), the Child Adolescent Bullying Scale (CABS) and the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC).
“It is staggering that only 23 percent of students who were cyberbullied reported it to an adult at their school, which shows that many incidences go unreported. This is another crucial reason why we need to screen patients as well as educate parents,” said Holley. “A screening tool of the providers’ choice should be worked into the work-flow of pediatric visits to ensure that screening is consistently done and results are addressed in a timely manner.”
Among resources available is a Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Health Care Providers ,” developed by the Cyberbullying Research Center , which is co-directed by Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., professor, FAU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University .
Physicians Should Screen Youth for Cyberbullying, Social Media Use
FAU physicians recommend primary care physicians screen adolescents and young adults for inappropriate or misuse of social media and cyberbullying using screening tools developed for health care settings.
www.fau.edu
