Ryan's Story for Essex Westford School District

Are you struggling with decisions regarding social media and smartphone access for your child? The middle school and teen years are now more challenging than ever. Bullying and suicide are on the rise – an increase that has been linked to social media and smartphone use. John Halligan, an international bullying prevention speaker is all too familiar with these widespread concerns among parents of tweens and teens. John lost his thirteen-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide in 2003. Ryan was one of the first victims of cyberbullying as social media began to emerge as an opportunity for peers to bully from a distance and behind a computer screen. John wishes he had prepared his sweet, sensitive son to be less vulnerable. He shares with the reader the heartbreaking story of Ryan’s short life, including his lessons learned and precautions parents can take regarding technology. Although the occurrence of Ryan’s social media experience was in a relatively nascent time frame of social media, the advice and lessons provided in this book are bridged and made relevant to today’s world. This presentation will be an invaluable guidepost for parents who want to...

• Be better prepared in dealing with bullying and cyberbullying of their child.

• Become more informed in making decisions regarding access to social media.

• Know how to respond if their child is struggling with mental health and or thoughts of suicide.