STOP School Violence Initiative: Improving School Safety through CYBER NOW (Cyber Behavioral & Educational Resources)

The Pennsylvania State University proposes to implement a program that aims to STOP school violence, improve school climate through education, prevention, and training, and provide an opportunity to meaningfully advance equity in violence prevention for communities historically underserved, marginalized, adversely affected by inequality, and disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization (People of Color (POC), women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ community).  School violence is a pervasive threat that continues to plague society. As the digital age progresses and social media becomes increasingly intertwined into every facet of modern society, the detrimental impact school violence has on physical and mental health of adolescent youths increases exponentially. This proposal introduces a novel approach to STOP school violence using an intervention strategy to eliminate its presence within school systems across Central Pennsylvania. Through a dual-purpose lens examining both perpetrator and victim this project aims to prevent violence by investigating 1) why cyberbullying continues to occur, 2) where environmental factors contribute and influence aggressive adolescent development, 3) what socioeconomic predictors can be used to identify the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration, and 4) when negative behavioral traits develop. Success of this project will help STOP school violence, and provide environments and communities based on empathy, inclusivity, and understanding.

Using data collected from schools (students, staff, admin), School Resource Officers (SROs), Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), evidence-based research, and feedback from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), this proposal introduces a STOP School Violence Platform (SSVP) containing custom-based education and training resources to STOP school violence. Project activities will include utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technology to present a novel solution providing experiential, real-world violence scenarios (e.g., interactions based on racism, xenophobia, ethnic insults, sexism, sexual assault) in a safe, virtualized environment, that allows individualized student learning.  Custom, scenario-based education and specialized training on simulation-based experiential learning will also be developed for SROs and LEOs. This project provides critical, life-saving resources to STOP school violence, necessary to ensuring schools are SAFE while enhancing overall school climate. The service area and key collaborators include Schuylkill Haven Area School District (SHASD) and Pottsville Area School District (PASD).  Key beneficiaries include coordination with community partners, organizations specializing in youth outreach and digital safety, and SMEs to create a safe environment for learning and civic growth.  In summation, this project will provide a sustainable SSVP to schools, SROs, and LEOs, containing essential resources needed to STOP school violence, including novel education, training, VR, gamification, and mentorship materials.