Many books have been written about cyberbullying for adults, but there was little material addressed toward teens, international cyberbullying expert, author and speaker said.

Justin Patchin, UW-Eau Claire criminal justice professor is the co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. His latest book on the topic which is aimed at a teen and preteen audience, “Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral” was published in December.

Patchin answered questions and signed books 5 to 7 p.m. Monday evening in the Alumni Room in Davies Center.

“Basically no one has written anything for teens. What they can do if they are comforted with cyberbullying,” Patchin said. “The book has strategies to teens that are being cyber bullied.”

Patchin and co-author Sameer Hinduja have published three other books for adults on this topic.

Joe Picconatto, university bookstore manager, said he thinks the topic is incredibly important. Events that showcase and celebrate on-campus authors such as Patchin are very exciting for the bookstore, Picconatto said.

“(The book) leads them through the steps that they can themselves do to alleviate some of the pressure and lets them know it’s not tattling to report it,” Picconatto said. “It makes kids understand that they are not alone and they can get support. It also points out what you can do to not be a bully.”

Senior criminal justice major, Luke Hoyord said he regards Patchin not only as his academic adviser, but as his mentor and considers cyberbullying to be a prevalent problem.

“Technology is much more advanced even in the last five to ten years so this is important to focus on,” Hoyord said.

Patchin said the goal of Monday’s question and answer session was to have a low-key, informal event where people could understand how he got interested in writing the book.

The book encourages teens to take efforts to make kindness go viral and use all the power of technology for positive purposes, Patchin said. Inspiration for the book came, in part, from teens who are already doing just that, he said.

Patchin began to notice teens who use tools like Twitter for positive uses. Like Kevin Curwick, a teenager from Osseo, Minn. who started a Twitter account to highlight nice things about his peers.

Other inspiration came from none other than pop icon, Lady Gaga.

Patchin and Hinduja were invited to Gaga’s event in February 2012 where she was launching her Born This Way Foundation in which she advocates for people to be who they are and anti-bullying, Patchin said.

When Gaga’s response to an audience member’s question indicated that traditional approaches to use teachers and parents to stop bullying weren’t working, it must come from teens, Patchin said he got to thinking.

Writing for a teen audience provided a challenge for Patchin, he said.

“You learn how to write a certain way especially in graduate school so when you start writing for teens it’s completely different, so it was actually kind of fun to get out of our comfort zone and spend a lot of last spring writing this book,” Patchin said.

It’s not just the book though. Patchin and Hinduja are trying to start a movement, Patchin said. A movement towards kindness online.