Local Hampton Roads Youth to Participate in Anti-Bullying Roundtable

Local Hampton Roads Youth to Participate in Anti-Bullying Roundtable

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's digital world, bullying does not just take place in the school yard or hallways. Increasingly, harassment and intimidation are taking place online. The first step to curbing this trend is open communication, especially among our youth.

Such is the impetus for the TakeCharge! of Online Bullying Roundtable, to be held Thursday, October 3 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Dara Pomerantz, a senior at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake will be among 12 youth from across the country participating. Hosted by Cox Communications and USA Network's Characters Unite, the youth will talk about the impact of cyberbullying on their lives and steps they can take to curb the trend.

"The average family uses five Internet-enabled devices at home, and not all of these devices have parental controls like computers," said Gary McCollum, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Virginia. "Therefore, youth of today have a greater chance of being exposed to some form of bullying during their adolescence. Fortunately, there are resources available to help prevent bullying and support for those confronted by it, such as the resources available through TakeCharge!."

Take Charge! is a community outreach campaign developed by Cox to empower parents and caregivers to manage their children's access to mass media content. Now in its tenth year, this initiative strives to increase customers' awareness and use of the parental controls and filtering tools already available on cable, Internet and wireless services.

The Take Charge! Roundtable is being hosted in conjunction with the #UniteLIVE: The Concert to Rock Out Bullying. Presented by USA Network's Characters Unite, R&R Partners Foundations Flip the Script and Cox, the concert will be headlined by GRAMMY nominated, multi-platinum recording artist Carly Rae Jepsen. Jepsen is also being featured in a Characters Unite "I Won't Stand For..." public service announcement being aired on USA Network and on charactersunite.com throughout October, which is national bullying prevention month. Pomerantz will meet Jepsen at a VIP receipt prior to the concert.

About Characters Unite

Characters Unite, USA Network's award-winning public service campaign, was created to address the social injustices and cultural divides still prevalent in our society. Inspired by USA Network's iconic "Characters Welcome" brand and with the support of leading national nonprofit organizations, the ongoing campaign is dedicated to combating prejudice, discrimination and intolerance while promoting understanding and acceptance -- on-air, online and in communities around the country. Please log on to http://www.charactersunite.com/ for more information on the initiative and what you can do to make a difference.

About USA Network

The #1 network in all of basic cable for seven consecutive years, USA Network is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals, spectacular live television and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. Viewers come to USA to find television's best in critically-acclaimed and award-winning original programming, such as BURN NOTICE, ROYAL PAINS,WHITE COLLAR, COVERT AFFAIRS, PSYCH, SUITS, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS and WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW, as well as the highest-rated acquired originals, including HOUSE, NCIS, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT and CSI. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications

Cox Communications

CONTACT: Emma Inman, APR, emma.inman@cox.com, 757.222.8432

Web Site: http://www.cox.com


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