URSP Student Misky Sherif Factors Associated with Cyberbullying in Middle-Income Nations

At first thought, cyberbullying may seem very similar to traditional bullying. With so much research conducted on traditional bullying, one might wonder why there is a need to study cyberbullying. I know I wondered that. Six months later, I have now analyzed the factors associated with cyberbullying in middle-income nations. Naturally, the question might arise as to what changed my perspective, so here is my story. 

I am a senior majoring in community health with a concentration in clinical sciences. My career goal is to become a pediatrician and I have realized that community health is incredibly important when trying to effectively and efficiently treat a patient. To further my studies in public health, I thought it would be best to conduct empirical research. I reached out to my Health Research Methods professor, Dr. Lila Fleming, last fall for advice on how to move forward. She recommended I apply for the OSCAR URSP program and choose a topic that I would be interested in studying. As I researched a topic to study, cyberbullying quickly emerged as a frontrunner. I soon realized that there were some major differences between the two forms of bullying and that, arguably, the effects of cyberbullying are more far-reaching than the effects of traditional bullying. Not only was I intrigued to further study these differences and the subsequent impacts, I realized cyberbullying was the best topic for me. It merged my interest of studying children’s health with my experiences as an individual that was marginalized for being “different.” With the guidance of my mentor, I decided the best way I could add to the current research on cyberbullying was to conduct a systematic review and to focus on middle-income nations. I chose middle-income nations as the target population because they face similar setbacks as low-income nations while still having access to some of the technological advancements of high-income countries. As such, I was interested to see how this dynamic would affect the factors associated with cyberbullying in these nations.

With the support of Dr. Fleming, I finalized the search string and the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Then, I identified scholarly articles on PubMed that could be included in the review based on their titles and abstracts. Next, I analyzed the full-text of these articles to make sure they still aligned with the inclusion criteria. For the articles that were included in the review, I identified the specific definition the authors used to classify cyberbullying, the prevalence rates of cyberbullying perpetration and victimization in the middle-income nation and any factors associated with cyberbullying that showed a statistically significant relationship. Currently, I am working on finalizing the results of the review. After I complete this stage of the process, I plan on preparing a manuscript that can be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Of the many things I have discovered through this journey, there is one main point that stands out. It is the importance of keeping an open mind. A year ago, I did not think I would be studying cyberbullying because I did not realize how it was different from traditional bullying. I was quick to dismiss the need for cyberbullying research and, in doing so, I was quick to dismiss its long-term, substantial effects on the most vulnerable population in our society. Coincidentally, I have now found a topic that I will be studying far past my time at George Mason.

URSP Student Farhaj Mursh forms a Network Analysis of Kidney Trafficking in South Asia

Official law notice stating only family can donate.
Illegal kidneys often bought to substitute when
there's no match between relatives.

The field of kidney transplants and donation consists of multiple players such as organ donors, patients, transplant service/care providers (surgeons, hospitals and other caregivers), and medical tourism companies. Inter-actor social networks are inherent in organ transplantation since the system tends to operate and expand through social connections. There currently exists a limited number of network analyses on kidney transplantation and donation processes. Although there have been multiple case studies on organ donation, from our knowledge, the application of a social network analysis has not been explored or published, creating a gap and great necessity for it in the field’s literature (Declaration of Istanbul). These reasons, along with my desire to apply mathematics and statistics to improve my ancestral land of Bangladesh (a hub of kidney disease), are what got me interested in the project.

This past Fall semester, I spent time in Bangladesh conducting preliminary field work and research to obtain data for the mathematical model we hope to establish this semester. My main objective, was to create a network model, of how a illicit kidney sale occurs, and all the “who/what/where/when” involved. Now, on a weekly basis, I’ve been consolidating my data from the Fall and preparing it for the small-scale database that will turn into a larger agent-based model. One thing I discovered from this research this term is the significance impact medical policy has upon the common person’s livelihood. Socioeconomic status and wealth often determine if someone will be able to get a new kidney or not, or if their body will function properly after that. I see this project being related to my long-term goals as I hope to conduct data-oriented health research, and building off my focus in the Fall, I hope to implement these techniques to focus on the health and wellness of people all across the world. 

USTF Student Esraa Abo Oun Creates Film on Humanitarian Crises

              I believe in the power of the media as a tool of communication. As a filmmaker, I believe in having a purpose in the stories I tell. Having the skill to use the film medium, I feel an obligation to tell stories of people’s sufferings. My work aims to raise awareness about humanitarian crises, clear misconceptions, and create empathy in the world. My project is a short narrative film called ​Jihad​, which addresses the Syrian Crisis and shines light on the struggles of civilians affected by the war. My goal in this film is to allow audiences a window into the experience of a Syrian family as they strive to maintain a sense of normalcy in the midst of war. This specific film is inspired firstly by real events experienced by some of my family members in Syria. It is also inspired by The White Helmets documentary as well as stories and videos posted by civilians and activists in Syria. This short film is my capstone project and will be my ticket into the film industry as I graduate. I am hoping to screen the film at different film festivals where I can share the story and network with other filmmakers.

             Throughout the semester, I made sure that I communicated well with my team as we prepared for the production of the film. On a weekly basis during the post-production stage, I would make sure to contact my editor to send me a copy of the edit so far. I would also meet with my mentor and get his feedback on the cuts. Every week, I make sure we create something new to be part of our distribution package; a website, a social media page, a movie poster, and a movie trailer. Working on this project has been a great learning experience. I have learned the importance of research in creative projects as it is essential to help create similitude between the film and the real life events. I am hoping that the story will help raise awareness about the sufferings of the Syrian people and be a motivation for action.