title: The Prevalence and Targets of Cyberbullying Behaviours: An Observational Approach

authors: Hodge, Emma-Leigh

abstract: The online environment has few boundaries and is evolving quickly, which may enable a greater prevalence of negative behaviour, like cyberbullying. Most cyberbullying researchers have used self-report methodologies, focussed on young people, and have had limited ability to explore contextual factors such as whether messages were retaliatory. Using stratified sampling, we selected a total of 40 YouTube® clips showing singing or dancing performances by young girls and boys. We conducted an exploratory content analysis using the first 20 comments for each of these clips (n = 800), coding eight quantitative factors and identifying themes for each comment. The key measure was the degree of positivity of each comment towards the performer in the clip, and if applicable, the degree of positivity towards the other commenters. Negative comments were directed at performers in 20% of the observed cases, whereas 74% of the comments directed at other commenters were negative, suggesting that commenters are most at risk of receiving negative comments online. Male performers received more negative comments than female. About a third of commenters appeared to criticise users for posting negative comments towards others, which is of continued interest because bystander intervention may mitigate some of the harmful effects of cyberbullying.

text: The Prevalence and Targets of Cyberbullying Behaviours: An Observational Approach The online environment has few boundaries and is evolving quickly, which may enable a greater prevalence of negative behaviour, like cyberbullying. Most cyberbullying researchers have used self-report methodologies, focussed on young people, and have had limited ability to explore contextual factors such as whether messages were retaliatory. Using stratified sampling, we selected a total of 40 YouTube® clips showing singing or dancing performances by young girls and boys. We conducted an exploratory content analysis using the first 20 comments for each of these clips (n = 800), coding eight quantitative factors and identifying themes for each comment. The key measure was the degree of positivity of each comment towards the performer in the clip, and if applicable, the degree of positivity towards the other commenters. Negative comments were directed at performers in 20% of the observed cases, whereas 74% of the comments directed at other commenters were negative, suggesting that commenters are most at risk of receiving negative comments online. Male performers received more negative comments than female. About a third of commenters appeared to criticise users for posting negative comments towards others, which is of continued interest because bystander intervention may mitigate some of the harmful effects of cyberbullying.

year: 2022

title: Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success.

authors: Nedelec, Sophie L.

subjects: Animals

abstract: Anthropogenic noise impacts are pervasive across taxa, ecosystems and the world. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that protecting vulnerable habitats from noise pollution can improve animal reproductive success. Using a season-long field manipulation with an established model system on the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrate that limiting motorboat activity on reefs leads to the survival of more fish offspring compared to reefs experiencing busy motorboat traffic. A complementary laboratory experiment isolated the importance of noise and, in combination with the field study, showed that the enhanced reproductive success on protected reefs is likely due to improvements in parental care and offspring length. Our results suggest noise mitigation could have benefits that carry through to the population-level by increasing adult reproductive output and offspring growth, thus helping to protect coral reefs from human impacts and presenting a valuable opportunity for enhancing ecosystem resilience.

text: Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success. Anthropogenic noise impacts are pervasive across taxa, ecosystems and the world. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that protecting vulnerable habitats from noise pollution can improve animal reproductive success. Using a season-long field manipulation with an established model system on the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrate that limiting motorboat activity on reefs leads to the survival of more fish offspring compared to reefs experiencing busy motorboat traffic. A complementary laboratory experiment isolated the importance of noise and, in combination with the field study, showed that the enhanced reproductive success on protected reefs is likely due to improvements in parental care and offspring length. Our results suggest noise mitigation could have benefits that carry through to the population-level by increasing adult reproductive output and offspring growth, thus helping to protect coral reefs from human impacts and presenting a valuable opportunity for enhancing ecosystem resilience.

year: 2022-05-20

title: Breaking the Barrier: Maori religious and spiritual entanglements at Aotea

authors: Klink, Kelly Moanna

subjects: Ngati Rehua

abstract: In 1889, Ngāti Rehua converted en masse to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). This surprising conversion is remarkable for various reasons.  Māori across the country had not only converted to Christianity several decades earlier but by the late nineteenth century had already established their own religious denominations that renegotiated Judeao Christian teachings in new ways.  The proximity of Aotea to the Bay of Islands and their own converted kin on the mainland made this very late conversion all the more remarkable. This was the first time that any Christian organisation found any meaningful success with native peoples on the island, despite the widespread impact of Anglican, Catholic, Wesleyan, and Presbyterian missionaries throughout the region. With so many converted iwi at their doorstep, and the widespread influence of early missionaries and Māori agents of conversion, why did Ngāti Rehua take so long to convert to Christianity? While other iwi were converting in large numbers to Christianity or renegotiating Christianity on their own terms, Ngāti Rehua remained isolated and aloof for much of the nineteenth century, maintaining traditional beliefs and practices that had disappeared or been significantly modified in other tribal regions.  This thesis explores this question in three main chapters. Chapter One explores early Aotea history, beliefs and practices and examines how those on the island remained elusive from the onslaught of missionaries during the formative years of the establishment of Christianity.  Chapter Two highlights the many Aotea inter-tribal connections, the ongoing isolated history of Aotea and early missionary influences. Chapter Three turns its attention to the arrival of Mormon missionaries in 1889 and discusses the ‘moments’ of conversion that have been maintained in successive generations.

text: Breaking the Barrier: Maori religious and spiritual entanglements at Aotea In 1889, Ngāti Rehua converted en masse to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). This surprising conversion is remarkable for various reasons.  Māori across the country had not only converted to Christianity several decades earlier but by the late nineteenth century had already established their own religious denominations that renegotiated Judeao Christian teachings in new ways.  The proximity of Aotea to the Bay of Islands and their own converted kin on the mainland made this very late conversion all the more remarkable. This was the first time that any Christian organisation found any meaningful success with native peoples on the island, despite the widespread impact of Anglican, Catholic, Wesleyan, and Presbyterian missionaries throughout the region. With so many converted iwi at their doorstep, and the widespread influence of early missionaries and Māori agents of conversion, why did Ngāti Rehua take so long to convert to Christianity? While other iwi were converting in large numbers to Christianity or renegotiating Christianity on their own terms, Ngāti Rehua remained isolated and aloof for much of the nineteenth century, maintaining traditional beliefs and practices that had disappeared or been significantly modified in other tribal regions.  This thesis explores this question in three main chapters. Chapter One explores early Aotea history, beliefs and practices and examines how those on the island remained elusive from the onslaught of missionaries during the formative years of the establishment of Christianity.  Chapter Two highlights the many Aotea inter-tribal connections, the ongoing isolated history of Aotea and early missionary influences. Chapter Three turns its attention to the arrival of Mormon missionaries in 1889 and discusses the ‘moments’ of conversion that have been maintained in successive generations.

year: 2019