About the Project

KidGab is a social network exclusive to Girl Scouts of Central Texas. It features fun activities like earning virtual badges through various activities such as creating their personal avatars, sketching and posting updates. Girl Scouts can also participate in a chatroom exclusive to their cohort or a chatroom where they can bond with Girl Scouts from other cohorts. The website offers activities such as quizzes and personality tests that can help girls discover more about themselves. Most importantly, KidGab offers "Choose Your Own Adventure" stories with the goal of teaching girls the consequences of being careless online and how to stay safe.

Over the last couple of years, cyberbullying (bullying that takes place through electronic devices) has become a concern among cyberusers. Bullying consists of one person constantly harrassing another person. In contrast to in-person bullying, cyberbullying can cause the victim to have a harder time escaping their reality because it can happen at any time; there does not have to be physical presence between the bully and the victim for it to occur. Usually, the bully is not the only participant; more likely than not, there will be a group of people that will also take part in the bullying. In addition to adding new features to KidGab, the participants' activity in the website will be used as data to study patterns of behavior that could help identify trends relatable to cyberbullies and their followers. Specifically, the influence that one girl can have over other girls will be examined. For example, if Cindy draws a sunflower using grey outlines, how likely are Beth and Amanda to follow Cindy's lead and draw flowers also using grey outlines? The data obtained through this research could be used to help make the internet a safer place for children.

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