New Facebook Tools Could Help Battle Cyberbullying

(Millington, TN) As with many things in life, good things can be used for bad. Facebook is no different. Unfortunately, bully’s use the social network to pick on and intimidate others.

“I do believe it is a problem and I think parents need to be aware of it and be involved in,” said Gary Fry.

His two teenage kids are both on Facebook, but under his watchful eye.

Fry is glad Facebook is rolling out new tools this week to protect his teenagers and others from being bullied on the social network.

Fry hopes the changes will help shut down pages like one in Millington which picks on girls at Millington’s Central High school.

The profile posts indecent pictures, as well as hateful gossip, about different girls.

“There’s no place for that. Kids are having a hard enough time in school as it is and then be picked on by some Facebook page like that,” said Fry.

Users will now have more options when classifying unwanted posts from others.

They will also rate how serious the issue is.

Katherine Crawford says, for whatever reason, people are much more hateful online, “You can go off on the computer and not have to face the consequences face to face.”

She hopes the tools will help put an end to Millington’s Most Ratchet page.

If not, she has a word for the victim’s.

“Take it with a grain of salt because, obviously, if they can’t say it to your face than it’s not worth stressing yourself about it,” said Crawford.

The tools roll out this week for all users in the U.S. In the worst bullying cases, people will be sent to Facebook’s suicide chat line or other professional help.