Resources


Find the help you or your child needs when it comes to bullying or peer pressure. You can also download the Internet Social Media Parent/Student User Agreement for Responsible Digital Citizenship.
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Bullying 

Bullied to Death in America’s Schools Fat. Gay. Or just different from the crowd. These are the reasons children are being bullied — sometimes to death — in America’s schools, with at least 14 students committing suicide in the past year alone.

“Bullied to Death” It used to be that if you were a child being bullied at school, once you walked over the threshold of your home, there would be a “reprieve” until you walked into school the next day. But times have changed.

Cyberbullying How to identify and handle online harassment.

Suicide

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline A national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.

Some young people who are thinking about suicide let people close to them know that they are in pain and are open about needing help. Others hide their feelings from family and friends. If you are wondering if your child is suicidal, experts say that asking him is the best way to find out.

Warning signs of suicide in children and teens include the following. Not everyone who’s at risk for suicide has these signs. They may have others. For example, they may seem hopeless, anxious, or depressed. Or they may quit caring about how they look.

COVID-19

Domestic Violence Is a Pandemic Within the COVID-19 Pandemic Growing evidence shows the pandemic has made intimate partner violence more common—and often more severe.

COVID-19 Isolation Linked to Increased Domestic Violence, Researchers Suggest While COVID-19-related lockdowns may have decreased the spread of a deadly virus, they appear to have created an ideal environment for increased domestic violence.

ONLINE HELP

TikTok Challenge Forces Schools to Close Bathrooms in Middle of Pandemic The challenge urges students to steal from, and vandalize their schools, particularly school bathrooms, then post the videos online.

Instagram says it’s working on body image issue after report details ‘toxic’ effect on teen girls Instagram says it’s looking at new ways to discourage users from focusing on their physical appearance after The Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook researchers have repeatedly found that the photo-sharing platform is toxic for teen girls.

Top Tips for Preventing Cyberbullying Cyberbullying or electronic bullying is a growing problem that destroys young lives by exacerbating or causing mental health and substance use disorders. To prevent those harms, take precautions before cyberbullying starts.

Safety@Facebook Facebook says it works with external experts, including a Safety Advisory Board, and gather feedback from its community to develop policies, tools and resources to keep users safe.

VIOLENCE PREVENTION & BULLYING

STRIVING TO REDUCE VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE (STRYVE) is a national initiative, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which takes a public health approach to preventing youth violence before it starts among young people ages 10-24. STRYVE Online provides communities with the knowledge and resources to be successful in preventing youth violence. STRYVE’s vision is safe and healthy youth who can achieve their full potential as connected and contributing members of thriving, violence-free families, schools, and communities.

Bullying transcends childish acts such as teasing, rough housing or joking around. It can be a dangerous activity with devastating physical and psychological effects. It’s a prominent risk factor for substance abuse and addiction, but the person being bullied isn’t the only one at risk.

Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now! The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau created this Web site to get the latest scoop on bullying.

STOMP Out Bullying™ is the leading national anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization for kids and teens in the U.S.

Houston burn victim holds head high despite dealing with bullying at school.

One third of middle and high-schoolers were bullied last year, study shows.

FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES

The Texas Council On Family Violence promotes safe and healthy relationships by supporting service providers, facilitating strategic prevention efforts, and creating opportunities for freedom from domestic violence.

TELEPHONE COUNSELING RESOURCES


211 Finding help in Texas is a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, is committed to helping Texas citizens connect with the services they need. Whether by phone or internet, our goal is to present accurate, well-organized and easy-to-find information from over 60,000 state and local health and human services programs.

The National Hopeline Network says if you are not in immediate danger of committing suicide, but need someone to talk with about your suicidal thoughts, please do not hesitate to call 1.800.784.2433 (1.800.SUICIDE). If someone is in immediate danger of committing suicide, call 911 now.

VET 2 VET If you are a veteran or you know someone who came back from active duty and has trouble with memories and experiences of the war please call our hotline at 1.877.838.2838 (1.877.VET-2-VET).