O'Malley, Facebook Execs to Talk Bullying at Arundel High

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will appear at Thursday morning to kick off a national campaign for parental involvement and bullying prevention.

O’Malley and his wife, Katie, will attend Anne Arundel County’s kick-off for National Bullying Prevention Month, along with executives from Facebook and the Cartoon Network.

O’Malley is expected to ask students and teachers to take a “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” pledge.

Since October also is National Parental Involvement Month, O’Malley is expected to give a message encouraging parents to become more active in their childrens’ lives.

Bullying has become a major news issue in the last year, after reports of suicides from students who said they were harassed due to their sexual orientation. In many cases, the harassment came online through social media networks such as Facebook.

Many politicians, athletes and celebrities, including the O’Malleys, have taped video segments for the “It Gets Better” campaign, which is designed to assist gay and transgendered young people who are being bullied.