Media advisory: New website aims to help reduce, prevent cyber-bullying
A McGill University research team led by Prof. Shaheen Shariff will launch on May 19 a new website that will help define and discourage cyber-bullying, while encouraging socially responsible digital citizenship. The site promises to become a valuable resource for youth, parents and educators across North America, providing advice from leading experts in a user-friendly format.
http://definetheline.ca will, for example, help stakeholders define the lines at which:
- joking and teasing become criminal harassment and criminal threats;
- regulations, laws and policies turn into limits on free expression;
- rumours, lies or demeaning images posted on social media can ruin a peer or teacher’s reputation and become cyber-libel.
Media are invited to attend the launch event on Thursday, May 19. Media may also register to attend in-school demonstrations of the website on May 17 or May 18.
WHO: Prof. Shaheen Shariff, Associate Professor at McGill University and Affiliate Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society
WHAT: Launch of definetheline.ca, a website devoted to clarifying the blurred lines between cyber-bullying and socially responsible digital citizenship.
WHEN: May 19, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: McGill University Faculty Club, 3450 McTavish Street, Montreal.
On the Web: http://definetheline.ca
