The Hidden Hallways of the Internet — Resources

This page collects the research, tools, and further reading behind the workshop. Everything here is sourced, peer-reviewed where noted, and chosen because it gives educators, counselors, administrators, and families something concrete to do — not just something to worry about. Bookmark it, share it, and use it with your teams.

Gaming & Teen Behavior — The Landscape

Primary data on how and why young people play

97%

of teen boys play video games

73%

of teen girls play video games

85%

of all U.S. teens ages 13–17

adult supervision in most gaming spaces

Teens and Video Games Today — Pew Research Center (2024)

The primary source for the 97%/73%/85% statistics. National probability survey of 1,453 U.S. teens ages 13–17, conducted Sept–Oct 2023. Covers platform use, social behavior, harassment, and gamer identity by gender and age group.

Pew Research Center · Published May 9, 2024 · n=1,453

Dr. Rachel Kowert — rkowert.com

Research psychologist, University of Cambridge, with 15+ years of peer-reviewed gaming research and 4,300+ academic citations. Her site compiles accessible summaries of the gaming and mental health literature, including work on dark participation, radicalization, and gaming benefits. 2025 Games for Change Vanguard Award recipient.

Peer-reviewed research · Psychgeist newsletter · Take This organization

Gaming, Mental Health & Risk

Peer-reviewed research on harms, benefits, and the 11-year treatment gap

Mental Health Screening — NAMI

Source for the 11-year treatment delay statistic. Approximately 50% of lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14; the average gap between first symptoms and professional treatment is 11 years. Grounded in Wang et al. (2004), National Comorbidity Survey (n=8,098), replicated by WHO World Mental Health Surveys (n=76,012, 15 countries).

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) · nami.org

Cyberbullying Research Center — Dr. Sameer Hinduja & Dr. Justin Patchin

The leading applied research center for cyberbullying and online safety. Hinduja and Patchin have produced 60+ peer-reviewed articles and 28,000+ citations. Their site offers practitioner-ready summaries on phone bans, sextortion, AI safety, restorative practices, and five protective factors that consistently reduce online harm. Stanford World's Top 2% of Scientists.

cyberbullying.org · Free resources, practitioner briefs, research database

Delays in Initial Treatment Contact After First Onset of a Mental Disorder — Wang et al. (2004)

The peer-reviewed source behind the 11-year delay statistic. National Comorbidity Survey, n=8,098. Median delay between disorder onset and first treatment contact is 11 years regardless of the type of professional eventually contacted.

Wang et al. · Health Services Research, 2004 · PubMed Central (open access)

Work2BeWell

Youth-led mental health education, activation, and advocacy program with clinically vetted curriculum for schools and youth groups. Developed by Dr. Robin Henderson (Chief Executive, Behavioral Health, Providence Health Oregon). Includes free curriculum, student advisory resources, and grassroots advocacy tools including mental health days legislation.

work2bewell.org · Free school curriculum available

Online Safety, AI & Platform Accountability

Harassment, sextortion, AI harms, and the legal landscape

Generative AI Misuse Cases — Dr. Sameer Hinduja (2025)

Practitioner analysis of AI-enabled harms in schools including non-consensual image generation, voice cloning, sextortion, AI chatbot dependency, and swatting. Written for educators and counselors with concrete response guidance.

Hinduja · cyberbullying.org · 2025

Sexting Among Teens: Replication Study — Patchin & Hinduja (2026)

Peer-reviewed replication study (Journal of Adolescent Health, IF 4.5) documenting the increase in teens who have sent explicit images — from 7% a decade ago to 24% in 2025. Documents that gaming platforms and Discord are documented initial contact points for sextortion cases.

Journal of Adolescent Health · April 2026 · Peer-reviewed

Discord Launches Teen-by-Default Settings Globally (February 2026)

Official announcement of Discord's global teen safety rollout including default safety settings, age assurance, and the inaugural Teen Council — a 10–12 teen advisory body (ages 13–17) that will inform future safety features and policies. Application deadline: May 1, 2026. Written by Savannah Badalich, Head of Product Policy at Discord.

Discord Press Release · February 9, 2026

Discord Teen Council — Apply Now (Deadline: May 1, 2026)

Direct application link for teens ages 13–17 to join Discord's inaugural Teen Council. Council members will directly inform future safety features, policies, and educational resources. This is a concrete example of students as part of the solution — one of the most replicated protective factors in online safety research.

Open through May 1, 2026 · Ages 13–17 · No cost to apply

Vyanams Strategies — Vaishnavi J

Policy and publication resource from the former Global Head of Youth Policy at Meta and founder of Vyanams Strategies. Covers age-appropriate design, KOSPA and children's privacy law, duty of care, and youth-led policy development. Featured in BBC, NPR, CNN, Washington Post, WSJ, and New York Times.

vyanams.com/publications

Esports, Education & Scholarships

Building a pipeline — from school programs to college scholarships

National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE)

The governing body for varsity collegiate esports. As of 2025, 260+ colleges are members with 240+ offering scholarship programs. Average varsity award: $1,000–$6,000/year. No NCAA-style recruiting restrictions — students can contact coaches directly at any time. Use their school finder to identify recruiting programs by game title.

nacesports.org · School finder, scholarship database, eligibility requirements

North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF)

High school esports federation with career pathway resources, college pipeline information, scholarship databases, and the Beyond the Game career curriculum. Includes detailed job descriptions for every role in the esports ecosystem — designed for classroom use. Their career ecosystem diagram is one of the best visual tools for career counselors.

nasef.org · Free curriculum and career resources for educators

Esports Scholarship Database — Bold.org

Current database of external esports scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $50,000 total, with Ball State University's four-year award ($12,500/year) as the current benchmark. Most varsity awards are stackable with academic merit aid. Includes eligibility requirements, deadlines, and game title requirements for each award.

bold.org · Updated regularly · Free to use

School Policy Resources

Phone bans, digital citizenship, and building coherent frameworks

School Phone Bans: A Practitioner Analysis — Hinduja (April 2025)

Practitioner summary of the current evidence on phone bans in schools. Key finding: bans alone produce inconsistent results — evidence is inconclusive on mental health and academic outcomes. Best practice recommendation is policy + education + consistent enforcement rather than prohibition alone.

Dr. Sameer Hinduja · cyberbullying.org · April 2025

Lancet European Health Policy: School Phone Bans Study (2025)

Randomized study across 30 schools (n=1,227). Bans reduced in-school phone use from 60 to 10 minutes per day but produced no statistically significant improvement in mental health, academic performance, or classroom behavior. Widely cited in current school board discussions — worth knowing before you're asked about it.

Lancet European Health Policy · February 2025 · Peer-reviewed

Common Sense Media — Digital Citizenship Curriculum

Free, standards-aligned K–12 curriculum covering media literacy, online safety, privacy, and healthy digital habits. One of the most widely adopted digital citizenship frameworks in U.S. schools. Includes parent resources, family discussion guides, and grade-specific lesson plans.

commonsense.org/education · Free for educators

Crisis & Support Resources

What to share with students who need help now

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988. Available 24/7 for anyone in mental health crisis or emotional distress. No cost. Connect directly to a trained crisis counselor. The three-digit number replaced the old 10-digit hotline in 2022 and is now widely accessible by phone and text across the U.S.

988lifeline.org · Call or text 988 · 24/7 · Free

YouthLine

Teen-to-teen crisis support line. Teens can talk to other teens who have been trained as crisis counselors — a peer-support model that directly addresses the research finding that young people seek help from peers before adults. Text "teen2teen" to 839863 or call 877-968-8491.

theyouthline.org · Text teen2teen to 839863 · Available evenings

StopBullying.gov — U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Federal resource hub for bullying and cyberbullying prevention. Includes state laws database, reporting pathway guidance, and resources for educators, parents, and students. Useful for district policy development and for parents asking "what do we do now?"

stopbullying.gov · Free · HHS / federal resource

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From the Podcast — Safety is [REDACTED]

Episodes made with teachers and parents in mind

These episodes were selected because they directly extend the themes from the workshop — gaming, mental health, school policy, AI in education, and practical strategies for families. Each guest brings either a practitioner or research perspective grounded in the same evidence base as the presentation.

🎮

Gaming · Parents

Digital Parenting in the Roblox Era — Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov

Dr. Milovidov (Global Head of Parent Advocacy, Roblox; law professor; founder of Digital Parenting Coach) on why conversations matter more than controls, how to co-play with your child, how to spot red flags without panicking, and how to turn safety settings into a shared family plan. The most accessible gaming-specific episode for parents who don't game.

🧠

Mental Health · Educators & Counselors

Tech, Teens, & Mental Health — Dr. Robin Henderson

Dr. Henderson (Chief Executive, Behavioral Health, Providence Oregon; Chief Clinical Officer, Work2BeWell) on accessible mental health resources, screen time and critical thinking, tech policy's effect on mental health access, and how young people are building their own support networks. Directly connected to the 11-year treatment gap discussed in the workshop.

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AI & Education · Administrators

AI, Technology, & Education — School Climate Conference Keynote

A recorded keynote from a previous School Climate Conference talk — the direct predecessor to this workshop. Covers AI in schools, screen time, mental health, cheating, and phone bans with stories that didn't make it into today's session. If you want more context on how this presentation came together, start here.

🏫

School Policy · Administrators

Youth, Education, and Online Safety — Majalise Tolan

Superintendent Majalise Tolan (Lincoln County School District, OR; 20 years in education; co-author of She Leads) on integrating technology from computer labs to AI, using social media for district-wide communication, managing student behavior with tools like the Yonder Bag, and fostering positive digital habits. A practitioner perspective from inside a school system.

🛡️

Online Safety · Parents & Educators

Safe Savvy Online — Liz Repking

Liz Repking (Cyber Safety Consulting; founder of the CASE program, implemented in middle schools nationwide) on what she sees in schools, screen time conflict at home, and how to help young people build healthy digital habits. Practical, parent-focused, and grounded in classroom experience. Ideal to share before a parent information night.

⚖️

Policy & Law · Administrators & Counselors

KOSPA and Youth Online Safety — Vaishnavi J

Vaishnavi J (founder, Vyanams Strategies; former Global Head of Youth Policy, Meta; former Twitter, Google) on the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act — duty of care, default privacy settings, data collection restrictions, how companies implement regulations, and why youth voices belong in policy conversations. The legal context behind the platform accountability section of the workshop.

Organizations Referenced in the Workshop

Full names, links, and what each one does

Thriving in Games Group (TIGG)

The nonprofit behind this workshop. TIGG works at the intersection of gaming safety and game design — bringing together safety professionals, designers, developers, and researchers to build healthier gaming communities. Executive Director: Matthew Soeth.

thrivingingames.org

Take This — Mental Health in Gaming

Mental health organization focused on gaming communities. Dr. Rachel Kowert serves as Research Director. Provides mental health resources designed specifically for gamers, gaming events, and game developers — including AFK Rooms (mental health support spaces at major gaming conventions).

takethis.org

Mental Health America (MHA)

The nation's leading community-based nonprofit for mental health. Publishes The State of Mental Health in America annually — the most comprehensive data set on youth mental health prevalence, treatment gaps, and access by state. Free screening tools available at screening.mhanational.org.

mhanational.org · Free mental health screenings available

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School Climate 2026

The Hidden Hallways of the Internet

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