With cyber-bullying on the rise, Facebook is coming up with ways to tackle the problem.
The social networking site launched its anti-bullying hub this month. Teenagers can now anonymously report abuse or reach out to adults on the site for help.
Facebook consulted the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on Preventing Bullying to brainstorm a plan to combat cyber-bullying. The idea is that reporting bullying to adults with whom teenage users are connected on Facebook will help victims to cope.
Like many teens around the country, students at Lewis Mills High School are regular Facebook users. Many said they’ve seen incidences of bullying taking place on the social media platform.
“I don’t notice it a lot, but when I do, it’s pretty bad,” said high school senior Amanda Buthe.
Facebook is implementing a new bullying prevention hub, which allows users to anonymously report abusive comments to Facebook and to other users’ friends. Students think this will help to discourage cyber-bullying and hold users accountable.
“It’ll make them aware that it’s not the right thing to do and they can get caught for it and get in trouble,” said Benn Kelly, a junior at Lewis Mills High School.
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The Washington Post reports that Facebook also planned to release talking points for adults and educators to use when alerted of bullying cases.
