BELTON, TX — Maurine Molak, founder of the anti-bullying nonprofit David's Legacy Foundation, spoke to the Belton community about cyberbullying on Tuesday evening.
Molak's son David, died by suicide in 2016 after being bullied online.
In 2017, Senator Jose Menendez reached out to the Molak family to address bullying through legislation. They were able to pass David's Law that went into affect in 2018, which makes it possible for students to anonymously report an incident of any type of bullying, including cyberbullying.
Molak has been educating parents and communities on what cyberbullying is, providing a brief overview of the laws, and how communities can help protect young people from being targets of this abuse.
Over 1.4 million people have taken the David's Legacy Foundation pledge that states they will not use their device as a weapon.
Mourine hopes she can continue educating more people and continue raising awareness.
"We've got to start somewhere, making sure that people stop and think and understand that there is a real person behind the screen, and we never know what kinda of day or battle that person may be facing, so we should always choose kindness," said Molak.
Her presentation was a part of Belton ISD's effort to prioritize safety, security, and inclusive environments. The presentation allows them to broaden their efforts to include parents and the community.
Belton ISD also has a safety tab on their website for anyone to anonymously report any form of bullying.
