ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines what is known about being connected to community, through lenses of culture, religion, technology and sociotechnical ecosystems, and how this relates to being socially and emotionally safe and well off and online. The imperative to help youth develop and sustain connectedness across education and wider social settings will be explored within broader themes of positive relationships, cyberbullying and mental health. Connectedness, often characterised as having interpersonal bonds or closeness to the social world (Lee & Robbins, 1995, 1998), will be examined as a multidimensional construct, and as a form of social capital which can enhance belonging, provide a protective mechanism and underpin positive coping, particularly within online bullying contexts (McLoughlin et al., 2019). In an era where young people’s social world spans different mediums, platforms and spaces, and where digital can both facilitate and destroy social connections, the impact online harm can have on a young person’s connectedness and well-being is considered. Given the fluid boundaries of community, it will propose ways forward regarding the role connectedness can play as a protective strategy and in helping youth cope with instances of online harm. Additionally, it discusses current practices that foster bidirectional connectedness across community and campus.
