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Beating Bullies Online

Artificial Intelligence Scientists Create Software Program To Detect Cyber Bullying

July 1, 2011

Artificial intelligence scientists say bullying on the web can be hard to detect, but their software can catch even subtle insults. The team has imported millions of everyday sentences that disguise themselves as harmless but when analyzed prove to be detrimental. Researchers hope social network sites will someday use these tools to help detect bullying and to provide advice to victims on what to do if they receive mean messages.

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Science Insider

TIPS ON STOPPING BULLIES:

This list is adapted from material on the website of the United States Health Resources and Services Administration

DO:
Tell an adult
Join clubs and groups where you will meet other kids
Support someone else who is being bullied

DO NOT:
Think it's your fault.
Fight back or bully a person back.
Reply to online bullying

OTHER WORK ON BULLYING: "Cool School: Where Peace Rules" is a game that encourages kids not to bully and came about when the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service asked a Human Development professor to help them design a videogame to help five to seven year old children deal with conflicts in a peaceful manner. The project relied on animators to create the visual environments, and for the professor to create scenarios that will help kids learn to resolve problems without resorting to violence. The game uses a wide variety of characters, from erasers to desks to books and basketballs, to lead players through 52 different scenarios. To learn more about the game or to play it go to http://www.rtassoc.com/gm_coolschool.html.

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More information on this story

On The Web:

Media Lab Research at White House Conference on Bullying Prevention

To Go Inside This Science: 

Henry A. Lieberman
Artificial Intelligence
Research Scientist
lieber@media.mit.edu


© 2011 American Institute of Physics