PORTLAND, Ore. – Cyberbullying is an issue that has become a constant concern for teenagers and their parents.
As attacks online have increasingly been linked to teen suicides, there are growing calls for congress to do something to help protect our kids.
Grieving families say it can’t wait any longer.
Kristin Bride of Oregon lost her 16-year-old son Carson to suicide after he was viciously harassed on Snapchat and third-party messaging apps.
“There are no words to describe the tragedy of that morning and every day afterwards,” said Bride.
Bride’s son didn’t get a phone until 8th grade and no social media until 9th. Yet those precautions didn’t protect him.
“Carson had received nearly 100 negative harassing sexually explicit and humiliating messages including 40 in just one day,” said Bride.
Bride testified she could not successfully sue the social media sites, because of “section 2-30″ of the communications decency act. It provides legal immunity to websites that moderate user-generated content. But lawmakers are considering new limits.
“The last time Congress passed a law to protect children online was 25 years ago,” said Josh Golin Executive Director at Fairplay
At the hearing, senators promised change and cooperation.
The worry is justified. A new CDC report shows significant declines in youth mental health and increased suicide risk in 2021, especially among girls.
“The levels of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by teenage girls are now higher than we have ever seen,” said CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health Kathleen Ethier. “I think that there really is a level of helplessness, especially from parents who are trying to keep their kids safe online.”
Lawmakers have introduced several pieces of legislation that would require stricter online rules for minors and make tech companies more responsible for policing content.
If you or someone you know needs help you can reach the suicide and crisis lifeline by calling 9-8-8.