Major

Computer Science

Anticipated Graduation Year

2026

Access Type

Open Access

Abstract

Due the increased prevalence of cyberbullying and the detrimental impact it can have on adolescents, there is a critical need for tools to help combat cyberbullying. This poster introduces the ActionPoint app, a mobile application based on empirical findings highlighting the importance of strong parent-teen relationships for reducing cyberbullying risk. The app is designed to help families build stronger communication skills, set healthy boundaries for social media use, identify instances of cyber- bullying and a teen’s cyberbullying risk, and, ultimately, decrease the negative outcomes of cyberbullying. The app guides parents and teens through a series of interactive modules that engage them in evidence-based activities that promote better understanding of cyberbullying risks and healthy online behaviors. In this poster, we describe the app design, the psychology research supporting the design of each module, the architecture and implementation details, and crucial paths to extend the app.

Faculty Mentors & Instructors

Dr. Yasin Silva, Department of Computer Science

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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ActionPoint: An App to Combat Cyberbullying by Strengthening Parent-Teen Relationships

Due the increased prevalence of cyberbullying and the detrimental impact it can have on adolescents, there is a critical need for tools to help combat cyberbullying. This poster introduces the ActionPoint app, a mobile application based on empirical findings highlighting the importance of strong parent-teen relationships for reducing cyberbullying risk. The app is designed to help families build stronger communication skills, set healthy boundaries for social media use, identify instances of cyber- bullying and a teen’s cyberbullying risk, and, ultimately, decrease the negative outcomes of cyberbullying. The app guides parents and teens through a series of interactive modules that engage them in evidence-based activities that promote better understanding of cyberbullying risks and healthy online behaviors. In this poster, we describe the app design, the psychology research supporting the design of each module, the architecture and implementation details, and crucial paths to extend the app.