Russell A. Sabella

Review: Cyberbullying myths and realities

Bullying has long been a concern of youth advocates (e.g., educators, counselors, researchers, policy makers). Recently, cyberbullying (bullying perpetrated through online technology) has dominated the headlines as a major current-day adolescent challenge. This article reviews available empirical research to examine the accuracy of commonly-perpetuated claims about cyberbullying. The analysis revealed several myths about the nature and extent of cyberbullying that are being fueled by media headlines and unsubstantiated public declarations. These myths include that (a) everyone knows what cyberbullying is; (b) cyberbullying is occurring at epidemic levels; (c) cyberbullying causes suicide; (d) cyberbullying occurs more often now than traditional bullying; (e) like traditional bullying, cyberbullying is a rite of passage; (f) cyberbullies are outcasts or just mean kids; and (g) to stop cyberbullying, just turn off your computer or cell phone. These assertions are clarified using data that are currently available so that adults who work with youth will have an accurate understanding of cyberbullying to better assist them in effective prevention and response. Implications for prevention efforts in education in light of these revelations are also discussed and include effective school policies, educating students and stakeholders, the role of peer helper programs, and responsive services (e.g., counseling).

School counselors perceived importance of counseling technology competencies

The purpose of this study was to determine levels of perceived importance of technological competencies among school counselors, school counseling students, supervisors, and counselor educators as the competencies relate to their work. Results indicated that technology competencies relating to Ethical Standards and Data Management practices were rated as most important. Technological competencies rated lowest for level of importance related to Multimedia and Web Development. Four of the other subscales were very similar in overall average ratings and included Word Processing, World Wide Web, Communication and Collaboration, and Operating Systems. In addition, findings indicate that neither the participants age, level of practice, or position (e.g., graduate student vs. practitioner) affects the perceived importance of technological competencies included in this survey. Implications for practice, training, and future research are included.

A Reaction to Counseling Psychology and School Counseling An Underutilized Partnership

Counseling psychologists and school counselors share some similarities in their history, training, and experiences. Although these similarities have fostered a common interest in educational and developmental interventions among children and some shared theoretical language, there remains several hurdles to effectively collaborating created by the significant differences in these two professions.

A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Group Solution-Focused Guided Imagery on Recurring Individual Problems

This article presents a preliminary study of the impact of a technique that incorporates elements of both solution-focused brief counseling and guided imagery methodology. The solution-focused guided imagery approach is a step-by-step procedure that was tested with both practicing and preservice school counselors,who reported positive results.