In schools, that means working harder to cultivate a “culture of empathy” that extends beyond classrooms into cyberspace, he said, because technology makes it easier to factor conscience and morals out of communications. School systems that have experienced the greatest success in establishing a sense of “collectiveness” do so by enlisting students to lead the effort, he said.
Empathy must extend to those accused of cyberbullying. Because adolescents have yet to fully develop coping mechanisms for dealing with frustration, anger or jealousy, society must guard against scapegoating those accused of cyberbullying.
