Share Paper: Empathetic Play: Proposal of an Interactive Storytelling Game as an Intervention to Cyberbullying

  1. Matthew Nowatzke, Iowa State University, United States
  2. Larysa Nadolny, Iowa State University, United States
Tuesday, March 27 12:10-12:30 PM Edison G

Abstract: This paper describes the research and design of a prototype video game as an intervention for cyberbullying. The game focuses on empathy, which has been shown to have a positive effect on prosocial behavior, and storytelling, which has been shown to be an integral part in developing empathy with another person. By implementing current research on cyberbullying and approaches in how to deal with cyberbullies, the resulting game takes the player through a week in the life of a middle school student and their interaction with multiple cyberbullying personas. At the end of the game the player is given a ...