News Investigation

Texas Mother on a Mission to End Cyberbullying

Apr 2024 🇺🇸 Spectrum News 1

Suicide and self-harm are complex and never caused by one factor alone. Problematic screen use, cyberbullying, harmful content, and online exploitation may increase risk or intensify existing distress. If someone is in immediate danger or emotional crisis in the United States, call or text 988.

Outside the U.S.? Find your local helpline at findahelpline.com.

This Spectrum News 1 profile revisits Maurine Molak's founding of David's Legacy Foundation after her teenage son David's 2016 death, which the report links to cyberbullying he experienced at school. Reporter Amber Hughes describes Molak's continued advocacy roughly eight years later, including her role in passing Texas's David's Law in 2017 and her ongoing push for the federal Kids Online Safety Act. Molak is quoted describing cyberbullying as a community-wide problem requiring cooperation among schools, families, and platforms rather than something any one group can solve alone. TechKids Foundation cites this piece as evidence of sustained, multi-year advocacy tied to a documented legislative track record rather than a single news cycle.

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CITATION

Hughes, Amber. "Texas Mother on a Mission to End Cyberbullying." Spectrum News 1, April 16, 2024 (updated April 20, 2024). https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2024/04/16/cyberbullying-david-s-legacy

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