Addressing Bullying in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis of Online and In-Person Bullying for Effective Intervention Strategies in Schools

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Eric Landers, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Juliann McBrayer, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Summer Pannell, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Chad Posick, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Georgia Southern University

First Presenter’s Email Address

ericlanders@georgiasouthern.edu

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Eric Landers earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida with an emphasis on children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). He has worked as a classroom teacher for students with EBD, as a professor at West Virginia University and Georgia Southern University, and as an independent consultant supporting school-wide behavioral systems. Dr. Landers focuses on bullying, responding to challenging behaviors, and school climate and culture. He has served as the Co-Director of the BSED, MAT, and MED Special Education Programs at Georgia Southern University and the founder/director of the Southeast Conference on School Climate.

Second Presenter's Institution

Georgia Southern University

Second Presenter’s Email Address

jmcbrayer@georgiasouthern.edu

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Juliann Sergi McBrayer, Ed.D. is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Research Center at Georgia Southern University. She holds a Doctorate and Educational Specialist from Georgia Southern University, a Master’s degree from Ohio University, and a Bachelor's degree from SUNY College at Buffalo. She has served 20 years as an educational leadership associate/assistant professor, educational program coordinator, instructional school leader, professional development and federal programs coordinator, classroom teacher and teacher leader. As a scholarly practitioner, her research interests include the development, implementation, and assessment of educational leadership and teacher preparation programs with a focus on purposeful, collaborative, and sustainable professional learning programming to ensure effectiveness and accountability.

Third Presenter's Institution

University of Southern Mississippi

Third Presenter’s Email Address

summerpannell@gmail.com

Third Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Summer Pannell currently serves as Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Program Coordinator of the EdD in Educational Leadership at Stephen F. Austin State University and as Director of the National Institute for Restorative Discipline. She has over two decades of experience as an educational leadership faculty member and P-12 administrator and teacher. During her tenure as principal, she received a Champion of Change Award for her school closing achievement gaps and served on collaborative committees to develop statewide principal and teacher evaluation systems. Dr. Pannell holds superintendent, principal, and teacher certification in multiple states and is a certified trainer in Restorative Discipline Practices, Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner (NLP), and Behavior Threat Assessment.

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Georgia Southern University

Fourth Presenter’s Email Address

cposick@georgiasouthern.edu

Fourth Presenter's Brief Biography

Chad Posick, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Co-Director of the National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Research Center. His research focuses on child and youth victimization, and quantitative methods in social science research.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Ballroom E&F

Strand #1

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Strand #2

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Relevance

This presentation addresses a global health problem for schools.

Brief Program Description

Bullying is a global concern impacting students' health, academics, and teachers' well-being, even affecting school funding. As online schooling grows, understanding the differences between in-person and online bullying is essential for developing effective interventions. This proposal compares both forms to inform anti-bullying strategies for educators and policymakers.

Summary

Bullying is a global health concern for schools. It causes multiple health, academic, and social concerns for students. It increases personal and job stress for teachers and even negatively impacts school funding due to excessive absences. These outcomes make bullying a significant issue in today’s educational landscape. With the proliferation of technology, more students are attending school through online formats. While there are similarities between brick-and-mortar and online schools, each setting offers its own unique challenges. As educational institutions seek to address the well-being of their students, understanding the nuanced differences and overlaps between these forms of bullying is crucial to developing effective interventions. This proposal compares online bullying and instances of in-person bullying as reported by teachers. This presentation will offer educators, counselors, and policymakers insights into creating comprehensive anti-bullying strategies.

Evidence

Laith, R. & Vaillancourt, T. (2022). The temporal sequence of bullying victimization, academic achievement, and school attendance: A review of the literature. Aggressive and Violent Behavior, 64, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2022.101722

Hutzell, K., & Payne, A. (2012). The impact of bullying victimization on school avoidance. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10(4), 370-385. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1541204012438926

Baams, L., Talmage, C., & Russell, S. (2017). Economic costs of bias-based bullying. School Psychology Quarterly, 32(3), 422-433. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spq0000211

Mundy, L., Canterford, L., Kosola, S., Degenhardt, L., Allen, N., & Patton, G. (2017). Peer victimization and academic performance in primary school children. Academic Pediatrics, 17(8), 830-836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2017.06.012

Menken, M., Isaiah, A., Liang, H., Rivera, P., Cloak, C., Reeves, G., Lever, N., & Chang, L. (2022). Peer victimization (bullying) on mental health, behavioral problems, cognition, and academic performance in preadolescent children in the ABCD study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925727

Learning Objective 1

At the end of this session, participants will understand the difference between bullying in online settings and brick and mortar schools.

Learning Objective 2

At the end of this session, participants will understand how to develop strategies for both the online and face-to-face setting.

Learning Objective 3

At the end of this session, participants will understand how to strengthen Adult Networks of Support in their school to prevent bullying behavior.

Keyword Descriptors

bullying, school safety, MTSS

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-4-2025 10:15 AM

Recommended Citation

Landers, Eric; McBrayer, Juliann; Pannell, Summer; and Posick, Chad, "Addressing Bullying in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis of Online and In-Person Bullying for Effective Intervention Strategies in Schools" (2025). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 40.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2025/2025/40