Silver Spring Township police chief urges parents to talk with children about bullying and social media

Christopher Robin Stein, chief of the Silver Spring Township Police Department, told the program that much of his department’s school-safety work centers on bullying and social-media-driven incidents and that early reporting and collaboration are essential.

"Our main focus is definitely more towards the individual level of bullying. Social media is a huge factor," Chief Stein said, urging parents to have open, age-appropriate conversations with children and to bring concerns to local agencies.

Stein described how departments work with large districts, citing partnership and communication with nearby Cumberland Valley, and said police must often have an identified victim to pursue a criminal case. He also noted that parents retain the right not to pursue criminal charges if they choose.

"We traditionally have to have a victim… At the end of the day, even if you have an open and shut case of bullying, yes, your child is being bullied, we can easily identify who's doing it, and we can make this a criminal case, you as the parent of the victim have the right to say, no," he said.

Why this matters: law enforcement representatives said cyberbullying and persistent online harassment are creating continuous pressure on students and that clear reporting pathways and partnerships with county and state agencies can help local departments address cases they cannot fully investigate alone.

The chief also encouraged schools and families to stay current with trends and to rely on community partners when local agencies lack specific expertise, noting that outreach and shared resources can fill gaps.