Page 20 - Abacoa Community News- August '24

Page 20, Abacoa

Digital Self-Harm Surges from page 18 “Children learn in different ways, and we have found In the last 18 months, MPFI staff have visited dozens of
that providing exciting hands-on activities helps them schools and connected with 9,000 students and community
• In 2021, rates increased further, with 11.9 percent understand complicated concepts like genetics or brain members. For teachers who have brought MPFI to their
anonymously posting mean content and 9.3 percent anatomy – even at the elementary school level,” said classrooms in the past, this new expansion of the program
anonymously cyberbullying themselves. Female and Dr. Ilaria Drago, head of Outreach and Advancement. opens even more possibilities.
non-heterosexual youth were significantly more likely to “We are profoundly grateful to the generosity of David Caitlin Holloway of Wellington High School has
engage in digital self-harm. Nicholson and John and Stephanie Pew. Their gift will participated in MPFI’s teacher training as well as
• Students who experienced cyberbullying were five impact thousands of students for years to come.” classroom visits. As an educator, she saw firsthand
to seven times more likely to have digitally self-harmed The Ask Max initiative aims to bridge the gap how MPFI’s education outreach impacted her students.
compared to students who had not been cyberbullied. between the research conducted at MPFI and the “Students often have a difficult middle school science
• While there were no consistent race differences broader community, fostering a greater understanding experience and tend to check out in science classes in
across all years, students from racial backgrounds and appreciation for science. The curriculum-aligned high school. Max Planck classroom visits reinstate joy
other than white were more likely to anonymously post activities will go beyond neuroscience to encompass a in science and spark a love for learning,” she said.
mean things about themselves online. Hispanic students broad range of STEM-related topics such as genetics, Susan Hahn of Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca
were more likely than white students to anonymously DNA, experimental design, microscopy, optogenetics Raton agrees. “Students receive many benefits from this
cyberbully themselves. and more. By bringing immersive science experiences program. They are exposed to different career paths in science
• Female and non-heterosexual youth are consistently directly to schools, MPFI hopes to ignite curiosity and and get an idea of what it takes to become a scientist. They
more likely to engage in digital self-harm compared to male passion for discovery among students of all ages. get to practice the steps of the scientific method. Hands-on
and heterosexual youth. Non-heterosexual youth particularly “Our goal is not only to help students understand the practice with variables, control groups, and trials will help
show a significantly higher likelihood of participating in both science but to be excited by it. Studies have shown that them comprehend and remember the steps,” she said.
forms of digital self-harm across all years. students, particularly girls, will not consider a STEM- To learn more about MPFI’s Ask Max program or to
“Digital self-harm has been linked with major issues related profession if they don’t have a positive experience bring the program to your school, visit mpfi.org/ask-max
such as bullying, depression, eating disorders, physical with science by their middle school years. We want to help or email education@mpfi.org.
harm, sleep disturbances and even suicidal tendencies,” every student in our region understand that they have what 1 https://data.palmbeachpost.com/school/fast/palm-
said Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., co-author, a professor in it takes to pursue a career in STEM, and that science is beach/search/results/sci/2022-23/
the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within fun and within their reach,” said Erica Eggerman, MPFI
FAU’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, education outreach coordinator. Science On The Cutting Edge on page 21
co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and a
faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard
University. “With increasing global attention from youth-
serving professionals on this phenomenon, it’s clear that
digital self-harm is a significant public health issue that
warrants further research to identify solutions that can
serve as protective factors to forestall its incidence as
well as its impact.”
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support to all targets of online abuse in informal and
conversational, as well as formal and clinical settings.”
Study co-author is Justin Patchin, Ph.D., a professor
of criminal justice, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center.

MPFI Receives Generous

Donations To Fund Mobile

Science Outreach Initiative

Last year, only 51 percent of Palm Beach County fifth-
grade students and 46 percent of students in eighth grade
passed state standardized science exams. Now, with the help
1
of a generous donation, the Max Planck Florida Institute for
Neuroscience (MPFI) hopes to help improve those numbers.
Philanthropists David Nicholson and John and Stephanie
Pew have donated $50,000 each to MPFI’s education outreach
program, enabling MPFI to purchase a customized van to take
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities
to Palm Beach and Martin County schools. “Ask Max” will
be a mobile science engagement program aimed at schools
and community groups throughout the region.