Bullyingprevention awareness. Disney is the Parent Company ofe effort to put a stop to bullying and to encourage teenagers and d hope. I remember being that young and feeling like. Like there has to be something more. [ chuckles ] you know, to be that young and to feel that way, like there has to be something more in life. And with the love of her family, friends, and professional help, rachel did find that something more. And our goal in this edition of beyond the headlines is to help others find it, too. Were going to share mentalhealth resources throughout our show. So, lets get started with abc7 morning anchor reggie aqui and some fearless bay area teenagers with an ambitious crusade to erase the stigma of mental illness. This is the teen wellness conference in mountain view. More than 220 students all choosing to spend their saturday learning about Mental Health. We need to let young people know that there are resources out there and that they are not alone. The conference was organized by teens, for teens. About myself and what i want to achieve in life and how to care for myself more. How to deal with stress,y,ikf types of mental illness. Its important because i really want kids to feel like they are loved. Students from 80 bay area schools are here for a wide range of workshops on topics that are often hard to talk about. Theres definitely a stigma issu. Hed to mentalhealth and, also, i would say theres a stigma maybe even more of a stigma attached to seeking help for mentalhealth issues. 17yearold nadia ghaffari, of los altos organized the conference. Nadia ben focusing on teen wellness after she helped a suicidal friend find a path to recovery. First, nadia started the teenz talk website to share video messages on tough issues. This conference takes the idea further, creating a safe place for teenagers learning to help themselves and others. Its normal to feel anxious or depressed at times, but if it gets to a point where its really changing the way you live your life, then its time to get help, and its okay. Nadia and her team are getting support from a range ofs eager to reach out to young people. Data has shown that teens in the u. S. Are experiencing higher levels of stress than ever before. And about 50 of mentalhealth disorders emerge by the age of 14, and about 75 emerge by the age of 25. Sometimes, Early Intervention is critical, just like with other types of illness. And we miss the fact that this is actually a disease. Its a brain disease. For 17yearold darrow hornik, a simple text helped turn around her moment of crisis. This amazing resource that is available to anybody, anytime, anywhere. The crisis text line is free and confidential. You just text the word bay to 741741, and a trained counselor texts back. Because its texting, it is not as terrifying as opposed to when you were calling in. Now darrow is volunteering at the wellness conference to spread the word about the text line. This activity is encouraging wellssne healthy relationships. Its a huge issues for teens. 1 in 3 adolescents will experience violence in a relationship at some point. Another group is focusing on the role of media in Mental Health. Some experts are especially concerned about a netflix show called 13 reasons why that some say makes suicide seem like the only answer. Liza bennigson is with the Childrens Health council, known as chc. Almosevery teen that we talked to was watching the show. Chc saw a huge influx of teens coming to get support services as a result of the show. Searches for suicide went way up after the show, on google. Netflix says the show is bringing awareness to sensitiver john herndon believes it triggered his 15yearold daughter bellas death by suicide. Dont let kids watch this alone. The assault on emotions is unmitigatedly hostile. He hoped netflix would drop the show. Instead, its shooting a Second Season all the more reason for workshops like these and teenagers willing to help each other. Individuals like me need to help take actions. Ani d a se wont be stigma around Mental Health. It is so wonderful to see tes tang crge the Mental Health through the teen wellness conference. So, congratulations to the young founder and everybody who attended. Now, the problems they talk about can be found in every school district. And here to talk about some of kevin gogin. He is the director of safety and wellness at the San Francisco unified school district. Thank you for being here today. Of course. Thank you, cheryl. You are the head crisis counselor, so you have seen it all. So, how young does it start . And how do you deal with the victims and the bullies . Well, San Francisco unified believes that the best way to address bullying is through prevention. So, we have solid curriculum, kindergarten all the way through high school, where students can look at issues of social and emotional appropriate expression, learning respect for differences, respect for their communicate appropriately. The other thing we have in all of our schools is we have social workers in all of our kthrough8 schools and we have very robust programming in our high schools, called our highschool wellness programs, where social workers, nurses, Community Health outreach workers, other mentalhealth specialists are on campus alltun and talk about their life issues. What kinds of bullying goes about 29 of our middleschool students say theyve been bullied at least once, autbo a 14 of our Highschool Students, at school. So, the kind of bullying might go on as someone commenting on an appearance, a look, the way someone says something. We also know that we haverblyine bullying. And about 14 of our middleschool students say that thats occurred with them, about 12 of our Highschool Students. And some of those stories we heard are pretty scary, you know, because you dont want kids driven so far. Thats right. And thats why we believe the prevention piece, is we want to have Services Available so that if a student is in distress, he or she can come in and get the help that he or she needs in the wellness program, talk to someone. We can have a restorative process with the bullier. We want to look at it comprehensively. But how do you get them in there . Because thats got to be the stigma. Thats what the kids were talking about. You have a simple way to do it, wegh drio have a simple way. I think we have very welcoming, youthfriendly rooms where students can walk in. And a student can come in through one door and have access to any number of services. So, stigma has not been quite the issue for us. We are reaching probably about 60 of our Highschool Students through some form of service through our wellness program. So, if they can come in for a cup of tea and say hello to the Community Health outreach worker, we know we can get them in later for something more serious. And how does somebody become a bully . What makes a bully . How does someone become a bully . Well, i want to go back to, you know, all of our children have complex issues. They come from a world that is very complicated here in San Francisco. And, a lot of times, they think it comes from their own sense of discomfort with whom they are. So they turn it on someone else. So, what we want to do is talk to them and help them understand that theres a consequence to what they say or do to one of their classmates. And we have about 15 seconds left. Whats your advice to parents . The advice to parents is talk to your children about what you consider appropriate behavior. Talk to your children about knowing where they can go for help at school, if they feel that theyre being bullied. And know what theyre doing online . And know what theyre doing online. [ laughs ] monitor the online presence, absolutely. Kevin, thank you so much. Absolutely. Thank you, cheryl. And thank you for all youre doing for the school district. Thanks. All right, when we come back, youre going to hear a very frank and open conversation about bullying and teen Mental Health from a Panel Moderated by abc7 news anchor kristen sze. Shes going to join me in the studio with more on how we can all be part of the effort to help and heal and choose kindness. Sometimes, their peers are the ones they go to first, and, oftentimes, the person with depressed thoughts will say, im going to tell you this, but promise not to tell anyone. And whats really important for us, as, you know, counselors, is let those youth know,uyo are not doing this person any favors by not telling an adult. This is your friends life at sk to you or anyone im thinking about suicide, you should definitely take that seriously and not doubt it and tell someone and get them help. They might be mad at you or they might hate you, but you might also save their life. Gina rosales, a chat counselor with the trevor project, was part of a long discussion we held recently at the abc7 studio to explore issues around bullyinga. And that important roundtable discussion is Available Online right now. So we encourage you to watch it at abc7news. Com. Now, for todays show, were going to be sharing some more moments from our roundtable guests. Joining me in the studio right now, abc7 news anchor kristen sze, the host of our special teenmltaenthdialhescuo amanda caparas, a School Social worker with the franklinmckinley school district, who took at,arll. S and theyre here to share their perspectives on the conversations that took place. And thank you both for doing that. I was able to watch a part of it, but kristen, what was it like for you having to navigate through so many stories that were really very troubling and emotional . Yeah. Well, first of all, its great to see you again, amanda. Your insight is invaluable. Thank you. Cheryl, thanks for the question. I think the first thing is it was a very Emotional Experience to be a part of the round table. It brought me back to my days training as a sexualassault hotline counselor, crisis counselor in san mateo county. And, also, it was impressive, to e round table was to talkthon about a really difficult subject, from someone who lost a friend, a relative, to the social workers, such as amanda, who work with the students going through very challenging issues in their personal lives. So i was very impressed. And, also, ultimately optimistic, because we are talking about it. We are taking action. Were not saying, were gonna let that be, and lets not talk about it. So i think theres hope for the future for teens. And, amanda, because were all focusing on wellness now, how tough is it, the kids youve worked with, to talk up, speak up when they have a friend in trouble. Yeah. I actually agree wholeheartedly with what gina said. Encounter this in my line of work. So, what i really like to emphasize is a systemic approach, using education and preventative programming to really instill this idea that its okay to speak up and to reach out for help. And when we are able to do that through the preventative programming in schools, to our communities, to our parents, and in the media, then thats how we really make that change. And ive already seen a recent trend, thats really encouraging to me, of our students coming to speak up for themselves and to bring their friends to us. So, thats been really great to see that. And, so, the hope is that that continues, that we continue to have these conversations, that we continue to have days like today and to have those roundtable discussions so that we can continue to bring araws esen that its okay to reach out for help. All right, lets listen to another guest from the roundtable discsion. She had a very large group of friends, and then, after the sexual assault, which she was passed out during, and the pictures, there was slutshaming. So, basically, everyone turned against her. And one of her own friends said she basically had no one. And she didnt reach out to an and her friends knew that she was contemplating suicide, but no one told an adult. Sheila potts daughter, audrie, died by suicide five years ago. And she is honoring audries life by increasing education and awareness about teen Mental Health and suicide through the audrie pott foundation. And, kristen, as a mom and a journalist, what were your thoughts as you listened to sheila . Well, first of all, i commend sheila for all that shes done to shed light on the issue. I know its not easy to share her pain. Elas f a empathetic towards her, in that just the thought that your daughter had gone through something so horrible and you didnt know, i think its a reminder to all parents to really keep that line of communication open with your teen as much as possible. Its not always easy during those years, when they have a tendency to shut down, but you got to try it. And i think the easiest thing to do, in terms of encouraging your tes toe op to u is to be nonjudgmental, because i dont you agree, amanda . They kind of shut down. How do you counsel the victims and the bullies. Well, its really important to first my first thing i o sod say, actually, t thonat hase been victimized by these type of circumstances, is that its not their fault. Thats the first thing that i really want to emphasize. The other thing is to really empower them to speak to an adult, talk to your parent, as difficult as it may be. Go to your School Social worker or your counselor, any trusted adult or teacher that you can find, because, as difficult as it may be, were all there to support you through this. An area and a community where we have incredible resources, incredible organizations, so as well, can really normalizeem, this act of reaching out for help. I want to go, very quickly, to a couple of young people who h mentalhealth issues. So take a listen. A lot of time, when we talk about bullying, its not the bullying you would, like, imagine, where youre on the schoolyard and a kid pushes you. Beats you up for lunch money. Exactly. Its not really like that. Its a lot more subtle and passiveaggressive on, like, media platforms, where you can be really embarrassed. And, you know, its all out there. You cant hide it. Everyone knows. And, so, i think that that really is difficult for teens to navigate. And then, you know, you have Mental Health on top of it, so if you already have a depressive personality or you have a more difficult time handling stress and you dont have the coping mechanisms to deal with that, you might just become so overwhelmed and really not know where to go. Yeah, i definitely think that. Especially in high school, you have the pressure of getting good grades and maintaining friendships and relatiships, and it just keeps piling up. And a lot of people dont know how to kind of balance out that stress. The two young ladies you just listened to lost a friend to suicide earlier this year, and they have channeled their grief into action at their schools. Theyre working to raise awareness about mentalhealth issues among their peers. So, amanda, we saw yasmina talk about the subtlety of bullying on social media. I mean, thats tough. Yeah. Its really tough. The first thing i would tell them to do is report it to the platform that youre using or to your school. And, also, they were so insightful. They really hit the nail on the head. Its really about balance, prioritizing your socialmedia use with your other priorities and with outlets. I encourage students to always pursue their passions, because not only does that build their selfconfidence and their selfesteem, it really improves their protective factors, like, through their coping skills, so that they can mitigate those negative impacts. Almost out of time. Kristen, youve got a young girl now whos at that age. Yeah. So, all these things, all these issues that were putting at the forefront are very helpful. I was impressed by yasmina and lauren, because they are there, on a daily basis at school, telling their peers that, were here for you. We reject the bullying, we reject the meanness, and we support each other. And if kids can take and adopt that view and do something nice for the kid next to them, then that will certainly change their world view so much. Mmhmm. Thank you both for being here and thank you for what youre doing with the round table. Its online for everybody at home. So, now, when we come back, youre going to learn about an International Organization that wants to put a smile on your face, as they choose kindness to put a stop to bullying. Its called the Cybersmile Foundation. Another thing you can do is tta it could be a friend, if youre not comfortable going to your parents. You can talk to your parents. N ca talk to anyone who has power, because they can go and they can make a difference for you. Who here has been bullied . Okay. A lot of people. It hurts, doesnt it . Yeah. It really hurts. So, ive been bullied a lot. Growing up, i had this weird hair condition where it didnt grow. So i was literally bald until i was about 10. Pro golfer Paige Spiranac is talking to kids and the Boys Girls Club at an event at lake tahoe. And she is using her celebrity status to spread an Important Message about bullying and to teach them a little bit about golf. Paige is an ambassador for an International Nonprofit called the Cybersmile Foundation. And here to tell us all about it is laura lewandowski, who came be with us today. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me, couple. I love what paige had to say to the kids. Absolutely. And, so, what is the Cybersmile Foundation, for people who dont know about it . Well, as you mentioned, so, its a global nonprofilyalre aiming at targeting digital abuse and cyberbullying online, especially on social media. Were seeing an increase in teens, adolescents, and even adults, like myself, who are being bullied across these platforms. So its really emphasizing messages of positivity and kindness, as we also think about diversity and inusclion online. How does it work . So, somebody i mean, everything is online these days, on your phone. Absolutely. So, cybersmile is actually on all socialmedia outlets, including instagram and twitter. One of our latest campaigns is the positiveactivist campaign, where you can search imacybersmiler and really see positive messages. So when people are getting impacted and getting hit with those really hard, negative messages on social media, you have these tidbits of hope. Thats actually how i heard about the Cybersmile Foundation. You were being bullied, right . I was. Actually my latest episode of being cyberbullied was by an anonymous source, which is also on the increase, last week, if you can believe that. And im an adult. But, really, cybersmile also helps students who are really dealing with this also at school, cause, sometimes, in that age group, its by their peers. So, but how do they deal with that at cybersmile . Tell them should they fight back or what . Do not retaliate. We like to say, dont feed the trolls. Really, the best thing you can do, whether youre a student or an adult, is document where youre being harassed, take photos of it, if youre getting screenshots and things like that, really making sure that you also speak to an adult or speak to somebody else that you trust about this. So, what are some of the other ways that cybersmile the foundation can help with School Districts . Because weve had a couple of district representatives today. Yeah, our schoolpartnership program is really growing. And it allows schools, administrators, teachers, parents, and students to have access to resources and events year round that are really focused on identifying bullying behavior, identifying if your student or your child is being bullied or even your peer is being bullied and ways that schools can help play a role in prevention, which is also something that was talked about today. Do you have people who can tell the kids what to do or where to go . We do, actually. On the cybersmile. Org website, we really focus on a helpcenter aspect, where it talks about different types of cyberbullying. So theres things like doxing, reputationmanagement tips, as well. And, also, if youre a gamer, theres also resources on there, as well, because this is big among adolescent boys who play a lot of video games, is that theres harassment and bullying taking place over that mechanism, as well. We have 10 seconds left. What do you do for partners . I know that it takes a lot of people. Absolutely. It takes a village to help combat this. So, we work with great groups like brita and steph curry to really help focus and filter out hate. Twitter, intel are some great sponsorships of ours, as well, and also claires accessories. All right, good to know. Thank you so much. And you can learn more about the Cybersmile Foundation online. Also, you can find the entire 45minute roundable discussion on teen Mental Health, as well as a list of resources, stories, and videos shining a light on many opportunities for you to choose kindness. Just go to our resource page at abc7news. Com tag choosekindness. Follow us on facebook at abc7news and cherylabc7. Follow me on twitter cherylabc7. Thanks so much for joining us and choose kindness every day. By living off the grid. Completely. Or. Set the washing machine to cold. Do your thing. Energy upgrade california. dog panting another 2am stroll, huh . Im worried. I have this medical bill. Dave, you have anthem, and they have people to talk to who are empowered to help answer any question you. dog grunting, panting is. Is he okay . Real people . Living and breathing. Hopefully not breathing like that. For all the things that keep you up at night, Anthem Blue Cross has a solution. Sky 7 live shows us the current path of one of the north bay wildfires. In the hills above kenwood in sonoma county. And while fire crews report good progress, thats little relief for those still in the path of the flames. Hello, im eric thomas. We begin the latest on the north bay fires. The tubbs fire is up to 60 contained and because of that, mandatory evacuation orders for the city of calistoga and