The Problem with "Cyber Safety": Calling for Technosocial Educational Responses to Technology-Facilitated Violence and Bullying.

The article critically examines educational responses to technology-facilitated violence and bullying (TFVB) in Canada through a case study of Nova Scotia's CyberScan unit, which was established to address issues such as cyberbullying and nonconsensual intimate image distribution. It finds that CyberScan's approach, centered on "cyber safety" and online risk avoidance, overemphasizes technological dangers and victim responsibility while underemphasizing the relational, social, and discriminatory dynamics that underlie most TFVB incidents. The study argues that this narrow focus results in ineffective and disempowering education that often perpetuates victim blaming and fails to address perpetrator behavior or harmful cultural norms. The article calls for technosocial and restorative educational approaches that integrate young people's interconnected online/offline lives, challenge discriminatory beliefs, and empower youth through collective responsibility and relational understanding.