Vacaville Middle School Students Get Lesson In Stopping Cyberbullying
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — Middle-school students learned tough lessons about the dangers of negativity on social media.
Students at Vaca Pena Middle School in Vacaville are now being challenged to stop the bullying on their devices.
Abby Malone, 12, is all too familiar with bullying. It can be devastating for a young eighth grader.
"I felt sad, I felt betrayed but I got over it and I'll never do that to anybody because I know how that feels," she said.
She and hundreds of her classmates attended an assembly geared toward challenging students across California to delete any negativity or hurtful messages from their social media.
Noah Loehr hopes his classmates embrace this anti-bullying message.
"They were calling me names and making fun of me," he said. "It could really hurt someone."
StopBullying.gov estimates about 28 percent of all middle school and high school students have experienced bullying while 70 percent have witnessed it.
School officials say smart choices to stop bullying begin with education through assemblies like this one. Administrators also believe parents can play a greater role at home if they ask their kids for help.
"They're vulnerable also and say 'I don't understand this can you please help explain this to me so I can support you in using these new technologies and new apps,' said Principal Ramon Cusi.