ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Three years ago Thursday, 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey was murdered in her St. Johns County neighborhood by a 14-year-old schoolmate.
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Since her murder, Bailey’s family formed the Tristyn Bailey Foundation, which aims to empower young people and keep them safe from danger.
From self-defense classes to social media savvy, Bailey’s family is honoring her legacy by protecting other teens.
Wednesday night, the Tristyn Bailey Foundation hosted an event where local children got a lesson on the dangers of social media, including Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
Dozens of students, many of them cheerleaders like Bailey, heard directly from special agents who shared a slide show outlining warning signs and why it’s important to be careful about who you communicate with.
They also talked about how predators can take the information you’ve shared online and use it against you for bad reasons.
Tristyn Bailey’s father, Forrest Bailey, said his hope is for young people to feel comfortable talking to their families about what they see on social media and know it’s OK to reach out for help.
“It’s so important that you recognize that you live in an area that is focused on developing young people and you have people who are here caring about you, getting you to your activities who are ready to have this conversation,” Tristyn’s father, Forrest Bailey said. “So, when I ask you to be enthusiastic about support, part of the enthusiasm is just leaving here tonight and having a conversation with the adults in your life about the things you see on social media.”
Last year, the Tristyn Bailey Foundation helped Florida lawmakers pass a law that prevents the release of crime scene photos, showing the murder of a child.
It also creates an exemption from public records requirements for pictures, video and recordings in domestic violence cases.
The Tristyn Bailey Foundation also plans to work with the group “Silent Women Speaking” on bringing victim families together at events like International Bereaved Mother’s Day 2024, which was Sunday.