Gender Differences in Online Dating Abuse

Teen boys and girls experienced similar frequencies of digital dating abuse, but girls had increased odds of experiencing digital sexual coercion and expressing negative emotional responses, according to a study in the Journal of Adolescence. The study revealed that girls experienced more frequent digital sexual coercion and victimization, and that they were more upset by the communication and expressed more negative emotional responses to it. Both girls and boys, however, also reported they respond to direct aggression by blocking communication.

Reed, L. A., Tolman, R. M., & Ward, M. (2017). Gender matters: Experiences and consequences of digital dating abuse victimization in adolescent dating relationships.

Journal of Adolescence, 59, 79-89. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.05.015

Lack of Screen-Based Media Strengthens Teens’ Nonverbal Emotional Cues

A field experiment examined whether increasing opportunities for face-to-face interaction while eliminating the use of screen-based media and communication tools improved nonverbal emotion–cue recognition in preteens. After five days interacting face-to-face without the use of any screen-based media, preteens’ recognition of nonverbal emotion cues improved significantly more than that of the control group for both facial expressions and videotaped scenes. Implications are that the short-term effects of increased opportunities for social interaction, combined with time away from screen-based media and digital communication tools, improves a preteen’s understanding of nonverbal emotional cues.

Uhls, Y. T., Michikyan, M., Morris, J., Garcia, D., Small, G. W., Zgourou, E., & Greenfield, P. E. (2014). Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cues. Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 387-392. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.036

Social and Emotional Learning Interventions in School

This meta-analysis reviewed school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions involving kindergarten to high school students, and findings demonstrate SEL’s enhancement of positive youth development. Participants fared significantly better than controls in social-emotional skills, attitudes, and indicators of well-being. Benefits were similar regardless of students’ race, socioeconomic background, or school location. Postintervention social-emotional skill development was the strongest predictor of well-being at follow-up. Infrequently assessed but notable outcomes (e.g., graduation and safe sexual behaviors) illustrate SEL’s improvement of critical aspects of students’ developmental trajectories.

Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156-1171. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/Taylor%20et%20al%20-%20FINAL%20document%206%2017%202017.pdf