Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research Assistant Professor David Byers was recently interviewed by the Online Experiences & Engagement Task Force of The American College Personnel Association, an organization for college student affairs professionals.
Among Byers' research interest is bias-based cyber bullying and engagement.
From the interview:
"Before transitioning into academia I worked in counseling programs at several universities and community clinics and did psychotherapy and consultations in high schools and colleges. I encountered many clients–often queer and trans young people–who sought help because they had experienced or witnessed bias-based aggression online in spaces where they were exploring themselves and finding community. I ran psychotherapy process groups where students would seek and receive support from each other about how to respond to extremely threatening racist, homophobic, transphobic, and other gender-based aggression–and I could see firsthand how generative and important this peer-to-peer support was."
Read the complete interview on the ACPA website.