Simulating Peer Support for Victims of Cyberbullying

This paper proposes a design for an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) that empowers victims of cyberbullying by simulating peer support. The anti-cyberbullying buddy helps a child to cope with negative emotions due to a cyberbullying incident and it shows the child how to deal with future incidents of cyberbullying. The buddy interacts with the victim in three stages: first the child communicates her emotional state, next the buddy gathers information about the situation at hand, then the buddy gives practical advice on how to deal with the situation. During the interaction, the buddy gives emotional support by responding empathically. In addition to giving practical advice and providing emotional support, the buddy tries to establish a relationship with the user by referring to previous events when appropriate.

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