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These resources support families navigating bullying, cyberbullying, smartphones, social media, teen mental health, resilience and digital safety. They're meant to complement the Ryan's Story student assembly and parent education program with tools you can use at home, not replace a conversation with your child's school or doctor.

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Books by John Halligan

Books by John Halligan — Ryan's Story in book form, including the story behind the presentation and the legislative work that followed.

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Screen Time & Social Media Tools

Practical, device-level tools for families who want to set limits without becoming the enemy.

• Parental Controls for the iPhone — a step-by-step PDF guide to Screen Time settings, app limits and content restrictions on iOS.

• Parental Controls for Samsung — the equivalent settings walkthrough for Samsung/Android devices.

• Smartphone Alternatives — a comparison of phones and watches built for kids who need to reach you without a full smartphone.

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Organizations & Movements

Groups doing the work of delaying and rethinking kids' phone and social media access at scale.

• Wait Until 8th — a pledge movement that helps parents band together, school by school, to delay smartphones until at least 8th grade.

• Mothers Against Media Addiction — a parent-led advocacy organization pushing for safer tech design and policy for kids.

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Research & Guidance

• The Anxious Generation by Jon Haidt — the research behind the link between smartphone-based childhood and the rise in teen anxiety and depression.

• Resilience in Children: Strategies to Strengthen Your Kids — the American Psychological Association's guide to building resilience in children and teens.

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Special Populations

• Bullying of Special Needs Students — a guide specifically addressing why students with disabilities face higher rates of bullying, and what parents and schools can do.

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More From the Blog

Blog Articles for Parents — the full archive of parent-focused posts on cyberbullying, social media boundaries and teen mental health.