This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Near-term Future of Global Travel

The Herman Trend Alert March 10, 2010 Cyberbullying---a Growing Problem In previous Herman Trend Alerts, we have discussed "digital dirt", negative information about an individual posted online. Now, we discover a related problem, "cyberbullying", or Internet bullying and unfortunately, in Sweden about 10 percent of all adolescents in grades 7 to 9 are victims. According to the United States website iSafe.org, in the 2003-04 school year, 42 percent of US children in grades four through eight had been bullied while online and one in four had it happen more than once. Cyberbullying occurs when people, often adolescents, use electronic technologies, including computers and mobile phones to harass or bully another. The bullies often use SMS, e-mail, chat rooms, and the website Facebook to spread their negative messages. Victims of cyberbullying have no refuge from their attackers. At times, they are harassed continuously via cell-phone text messages and websites. The information spreads very quickly and may be difficult to remove. Moreover, the perpetrator is often difficult to identify, due to their ability to post negative messages anonymously. The system also "makes it possible for a weaker person to bully a stronger, which is uncommon in conventional bullying". A recent study by Ann Frisén, Professor of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg, draws attention to this global problem. 'This type of bullying can be more serious than conventional bullying, says Professor Friesen. "At least with conventional bullying the victim is left alone on evenings and weekends", she continues. There appears to be a clear connection to school life, since cyberbullying lessens in the summer. According to Frisén, parents have an important role to play in helping their children handle the situation. She believes rather than forbidding children from visiting certain websites, they should instead teach them how to act when they are there. "It is also important not to blame victimized children, since it's really not their fault. Our job is instead to help them end the harassment." Not only will cyberbullying intensify, but it will also proliferate into new media, as they emerge. Governments will attempt to crack down on this problem, however only a system of transparency will truly help. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." ARE YOU READY FOR THE RECOVERY? Most employers are unprepared. The recovery next year will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336.210.3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION If you are not using pre-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! http://www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Now announcing an opportunity in Africa (Ghana). E-mail info@EmployerOfChoice.com for more information. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. 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