Malverne High School Students Take Part In Anti-Cyberbullying Program

MALVERNE, NY — As the school year is about to start, Bethpage's The Safe Center held a special program for Malverne High School students.

The 501 (c)(3) nonprofit provided a Back to School safety initiative focused on cyberbullying concerns.

The program brought together 100 incoming freshmen and new transfer students,

"For incoming 9th graders it’s important they know how to report bullying and to stick up for other people who are being bullied," said Jennifer Rowland, Director of Education, The Safe Center. "It’s not something that stops when kids leave school. It’s 24-7. They have enough to deal with being teenagers. We don’t want them suffering from online bullying as well."

During the one-hour interactive session, Safe Center presenters shared ways teens can keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including in person and online.

The program was created in partnership with the Malverne School District after COVID and seeks to rebuild fundamental foundational skills for kids who spent much of their developing middle school years in remote learning.

This is the first year the Malverne School District offered the program, where kids and parents come to gather vital information.

Kesha Bascomb, Principal, of Malverne High School, said: "We want to talk about cyberbullying, online safety and mental health so that they understand how to be safe."