Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin and Cox Communications today announced that their "Take Charge!" campaign to end online bullying earned an "Excellence Award" for community relations by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Southeastern New England Chapter. Attorney General Kilmartin and Cox Communications will be presented with the honor at a reception on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at the Park Theater in Cranston.
Attorney General Kilmartin and Cox partnered together to bring the "Take Charge!" initiative, which educates and empowers parents to keep their children safe online, to Rhode Island middle and high schools and to raise public awareness of the issue of online bullying.
"The response by schools and students to the 'Take Charge!' campaign has been tremendous. One of my favorite things to do as Attorney General is to speak with young people about relevant issues, like online bullying. The 'Take Charge!' campaign gives me the opportunity to speak with students about a real problem they all face in some form or another, and to have an honest conversation about the consequences and how to protect themselves and their friends from online bullying. I am honored this important work has been recognized by PRSA," said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin.
Online bullying, or cyberbullying, is a serious concern for teens and their parents. A survey conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Cox Communications shed some important and at times disturbing light on this social issue. For instance, in Rhode Island, three in 10 teens claim to have been bullied online and one in 10 admits to having bullied someone else. Most strikingly, only 61 percent of those who have been bullied have told a parent of other adult about it.
"The TakeCharge! partnership between Cox and the Attorney General's office has gotten people talking about the importance of cyberbullying prevention," said Jennifer Bramley, vice president, Government and Public Affairs, Cox Communications. "Families tell us that keeping their kids safe online is a high priority and Cox is committed to making this happen. Thanks to PRSA for recognizing this important message."
The annual survey also addressed the overall Internet experience for families with teenagers. The average household uses five Internet-enabled devices – however, the majority of these do not have robust parental controls. And, when factoring in online experiences on devices like video game systems, digital music players, phones and more, teens spend as much time online each day as they do in the classroom. Additionally, 90 percent of kids log onto at least one social media site every day. All of this contributes to the plague of cyberbullying.
The campaign includes public service announcements that appear on Cox's cable lineup and the Rhode Island Attorney General website, along with visits to Rhode Island schools where Attorney General Kilmartin and Cox Communications spoke with students about the legal and emotional consequences of online bullying. Participating students all took pledges to promise to stop online bullying and to report online bullying to a parent, teacher or trusted adult. Students were also given a package of materials to take home to their parents and guardians to help them stay safe online.
To learn more about the "Take Charge!" program, or to schedule the Office of Attorney General and Cox Communications to bring this campaign to your school, please visit http://takecharge.cox.com or www.riag.ri.gov.