TxSSC
Bullying and its Impact on Youth Mental Health
Video Length | 1:03:45
Recorded | October 2022
Podcast Description
In this Learning Lab episode, host Stephanie Peterson sits down with Maurine Molak, co-founder of David's Legacy Foundation, to discuss what bullying is and the profound negative impact it has on youth mental health when left unaddressed.
Expert Guest
Maurine Molak
Maurine Molak, along with her husband Matt and their two oldest sons Cliff and Chris, founded David's Legacy
Foundation after experiencing the tragedy that no family should ever have to experience. In January of 2016,
their 16-year-old son, and brother, David, died by suicide after experiencing ...months of relentless
cyberbullying. After David's death, Maurine and her family, made it their mission to prevent this from
happening
to another family by working with Texas legislators in 2017 to pass “David's Law” which provides public
schools,
parents, and law enforcement the necessary tools to address cyberbullying. In 2019 and 2021 they continued
their
advocacy to strengthen “David's Law” with increased suicide prevention, digital citizenship, anti-bullying
prevention policy requirements and increased reporting measures. The mission of David's Legacy Foundation is
to
end cyber, and all forms of bullying, of children and teens through education, legislation, and legal
action.
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Learning Lab Host
Stephanie Peterson
Stephanie Peterson is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her Master of Arts degree at St. Mary's
University in San Antonio, Texas. She brings almost 20 years of experience working with various populations
including children, adolescents..., adults, and families in a
variety of settings. Additionally, Ms. Peterson has developed curriculum, resources, and presentations on
topics related to children's mental health and best practices for school district staff, parents, students,
school-based law enforcement, first responders, military personnel, and clinicians. Ms. Peterson currently
serves as a Training and Education Specialist and the mental health subject matter expert at the Texas School
Safety Center.
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Podcast Available On
-
You can access all episodes of The Learning Lab School Safety Podcast on the following platforms:
- YouTube (Video and Audio)
- Spotify (Video and Audio)
- Apple Podcasts (Audio Only)
- Google Podcasts (Audio Only)
Podcast Produced By: Brian Clason, Program Manager of Curriculum & Instruction