Facebook and Media Literacy Council launch new safety resources for teens, parents and teachers

09 Feb 2015

In support of tomorrow’s Safer Internet Day, a global initiative that invites everyone - young people, parents, teachers, educators, industry and safety organizations - to come together to focus on what we can do to “create a better Internet together”, Facebook and the Media Literacy Council (MLC) today launched a Bullying Prevention Centre in Singapore.

The site (facebook.com/safety/bullying), which is the first to go live in Asia Pacific, offers important tools and information for individuals being bullied, their friends, parents and teachers and even those accused of bullying. It gives people being bullied information on what they can do when they experience something upsetting, recommendations to adults who want to help, as well as guidance to the person accused of bullying on why they have upset someone and how they can make it better. Specific actions, including links to Facebook’s reporting tools, are listed for each audience. Facebook will also direct anyone who reports bullying via Facebook’s reporting tools to the Bullying Prevention Centre.

Created by Facebook engineers and Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, the Facebook Bullying Prevention Centre is the result of pioneering work to help people have a better, more compassionate experience on Facebook. Facebook and Singapore’s Media Literacy Council have worked extensively to ensure the content and conversation starters are relevant for young people, parents and educators in Singapore. The site and its contents will be promoted to students and teachers through a series of activities run by the Media Literacy Council from 10 Feb until May 2015.

Mia Garlick, Head of Policy for Facebook Australia and New Zealand, said:
“We live in a world where occasionally conflicts will occur, both online and off, so it’s important to give people the tools and skills to tackle this behaviour when they see it. The new Bullying Prevention Centre is part of our ongoing commitment to provide safeguards to the people who use Facebook, especially young people. We hope that by putting this kind of information at people’s fingertips when they need it we will be able to help them resolve these conflicts.”

Professor Tan Cheng Han, Chairman of the Media Literacy Council, said:
“The internet is just like the real world but consequences are often magnified in the online world It is our collective responsibility to make the world, internet or otherwise, better. The Bullying Prevention Hub provides useful resources and practical tips to help youths, parents and teachers deal with disagreements, conflicts and bullying to minimize things spiralling out of control. The Council is pleased to work with Facebook to provide these practical self-help guides so that people are empowered to help themselves and their friends and create a better internet together.”

For further safety advice like the Facebook Safety page: www.facebook.com/fbsafety and our Stop Bullying: Speak Up page
https://www.facebook.com/stopbullyingspeakup
Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence:http://ei.yale.edu/

For more information on SID and MLC, please contact:

About Media Literacy Council (MLC) 

The Media Literacy Council works in partnership with industry, community and government to champion and develop public education and awareness programmes relating to media literacy and cyber wellness. In an increasingly interactive and participatory media landscape, the MLC seeks to cultivate and encourage the public to become discerning media consumers with the ability to evaluate media content effectively, and use, create and share content safely and responsibly. It also advises the government on how to respond to emerging issues relating to Internet and media content.

About Facebook 

Founded in 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

Facebook is a trademark of Meta Inc.