You hear the word. It is being used a lot. Sometimes it is used a lot here on this show. But do you really know what it means? The word is Cyber Bullying. It affects millions of children throughout the world each year. With advances in technology, cyber bullying has become more and more prevalent through the use of e-mail, instant messages, chat rooms, and other digital messaging systems -- it also brings with it unique challenges for parents and educators. The book is written by 3 highly trained and experienced Ph.Ds: Robin Kowalski, Susan Limber and Patricia Walton Agatston. We are grateful to have as our guest today one of the authors, Dr. Robin Kowalski.

Dr. Robin Kowalski is a professor of psychology at Clemson University. She obtained her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research interests focus primarily on aversive interpersonal behaviors, most notably complaining, teasing and bullying, with a particular focus on cyber bullying. She is the author or co-author of several books including Complaining, Teasing, and Other Annoying Behaviors, Social Anxiety, Aversive Interpersonal Behaviors, Behaving Badly, and The Social Psychology of Emotional and Behavioral Problems. She (along with Susan Limber and Patricia Agatston) has a book forthcoming entitled Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age. Her research on complaining brought her international attention, including an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.” Dr. Kowalski has received several awards including Clemson University’s Award of Distinction, Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and the Clemson Board of Trustees Award for Faculty Excellence.

Dr. Susan Limber is Director of the Center on Youth Participation and Human Rights at the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life and Professor of Psychology at Clemson University.  She is a developmental psychologist who received her masters and doctoral degrees in psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she also received a Masters of Legal Studies.   Dr. Limber's research and writing have focused on legal and psychological issues related to youth violence (particularly bullying among children), youth participation, and children's rights. She directed the first wide-scale implementation and evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in the United States and co-authored the Blueprint for the Bullying Prevention Program as well as many other articles on the topic of bullying.  She is co-author of the book entitled, Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age, with Dr. Robin Kowalski and Dr. Patricia Agatston.  In recent years, she has overseen dissemination of the Olweus program in the United States.  Since 2001, she has provided consultation to the National Bullying Prevention Campaign (“Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now!”), supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Dr. Limber has received a number of awards for her work, including the American Psychological Association’s Early Career Award for Psychology in the Public Interest, and the Saleem Shah Award for early career excellence in psychology-law policy, which was awarded by the American Psychology-Law Society of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Forensic Psychiatry.

Dr. Patricia Agatston is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Prevention/Intervention Center, a student assistance program that serves more than 100 schools in the Cobb County School District, a suburb of Atlanta Georgia.  She earned her bachelor's degree from Florida State University, her master's degree from the University of North Texas, and her doctorate from The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio.