Stephanie Thurrott is a writer who covers mental health, personal growth, wellness, family, food and personal finance, and dabbles in just about any other topic that grabs her attention. When she's not writing, look for her out walking her dog or riding her bike in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
This article is sponsored by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Like most middle school students, seventh-grader Aisha Chavda is concerned about cyberbullying. But unlike most, she decided to do something about it.
“I don’t like when something is wrong in a community and there isn’t really a feasible solution,” she says. Chavda targeted a problem that’s widespread in the U.S. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center’s 2025 survey of middle and high school students: 58% reported that they had experienced cyberbullying at some point in their lifetimes33% said they had been cyberbullied in the past 30 days And compared to other forms of bullying, cyberbullying creates unique challenges. “ is harder to manage than actual bullying,” Chavda says. “In this new age of technology, people are online more than they are offline, so it’s like they experience more. I feel like it’s the equivalent to being bullied constantly.” Giving Kids Strategies That Can Help Chavda created an acronym called BRIGHT that people could follow if they were being cyberbullied. BRIGHT stands for: Block: Block the bully online to create distanceReport: Report the bully to the online platformIgnore: Don’t respond, and distract yourself with other activitiesGet an adult: Tell a trusted adult what’s happening so they can give you adviceHotline: If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide, connect with a hotline like stopbullying.gov or Crisis Text Line Tech break: Log off and do things that don’t involve technology Finding Her Voice Creating the acronym was just Chavda’s first step. In 2025, Chavda’s cyberbullying initiative helped her win the Illinois State Civics Bee, a competition that encourages students to learn about government and come up with solutions to issues that impact them. Kevin Smith, Chavda’s social studies teacher, says, “Whether it’s cyber bullying, whether it’s traffic, whether it’s your curriculum, whether it’s your sports teams, … civics helps you understand how these things work, and then once you understand how they work, you might have a chance to understand how to change them for the better.” Preparing for and competing in the civics bee helped Chavda realize that, while she and others her age may not have a vote, they can make an impact. “Children, a lot of the time, don’t realize that they have a constitutional right to speak out, to petition, to protest, to talk about things in their community,” Chavda says. “I think the civics bee helped a lot of kids realize that they do have a voice.” She noticed a difference in herself: “After that, I became more confident, and I started speaking out more about issues,” Chavda says. Making a Difference In Her Community At just 11 years old, Chavda shared her BRIGHT initiative publicly, presenting it to the mayor and trustees in her hometown of Plainfield, Ill. The mayor was so impressed that he reached out to the police chief, who shared Chavda’s story with Brock Keag, a community engagement police officer. Keag called Chavda with ideas about ways to improve BRIGHT and suggested that she contact the Board of Education as a next step toward implementing it in her school district. For Chavda, Keag’s call was unexpected: “I was so shocked. First, I , did I do something wrong? The police are calling my house. Later, I realized that people are actually interested in this idea. They see that this is a problem that should be solved in our community. I love that.” Chavda has taken her initiative beyond the classroom. She trained a business on BRIGHT, presenting a slide show over Google Meet and talking with employees about cyber safety. Keag notes how kids like Chavda can make a difference going forward. “Not only is it good for kids to be heard in the community, but it’s good for kids to get that practice for when they are adults,” he says. “We need people like that in our communities.” The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that inspires young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. To learn more, visit the web site.
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