WESTON, W.Va. – Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito wants to put an end to cyber bullying. She’s making her case one school at a time.
Tuesday, Capito teamed up with Robert L. Bland Middle School in Lewis County and Google to talk with kids about the dangers of today’s tech world
“[We’re focusing on] how to recognize cyber bullying, what to do about it and how you can have partners with Google and your parents and your teachers to try and prevent this,” according to Capito.
This is the third cyber bullying roundtable Capito has hosted. It’s the first one where students are actively involved. Google put together a 45-minute presentation in a digital gaming format to catch kids attention and keep it, in order to get the word out about the dangers of cyber bullying.
Capito said several high-profile national cases caught her attention.
“There were a couple stories that just really tore at my heart where girls, in this case, had been cyber bullied, pushed through the Internet, to feel so bad about themselves that they eventually took their own life,” Capito said.
She said that should never happen and it’s important to reach out to students early on.
“In middle school is the perfect age because they’re using social media all the time. We just want to make sure it’s used properly.”
Capito said that includes making sure kids know what is appropriate and when to ask for help.
The congresswoman hopes this will be the first, of many, Google/school partnerships to talk about the issue.