Facebook Fights Cyberbullying

Today Facebook launched a new button to report cyberbullying.

The first change is specifically for 13- and 14-year-olds (you have to be at least 13 to sign up for a Facebook account). If a boy in that age range wants to report a mean or threatening post or image a schoolmate has put on Facebook, he can click "This post is a problem" (a new phrase chosen to replace the stiff "Report") and go through a series of casually worded questions to determine what kind of issue he's having and how serious it is. There's even a grid for ranking his emotions.

Once he finishes the questions, a list of suggested actions is generated based on how pressing his complaint is. If the boy is more annoyed than than fearful, he might choose to send a pre-written message to the other person saying that the post makes him uncomfortable. If he is afraid, he will be prompted to get help from a trusted friend or adult. There are links to catch anyone who may be feeling suicidal and direct them to professionals and Facebook's own suicide chat hotline.

The change comes after Facebook collaborated with psychologists at Yale, Berkeley, and Columbia.