The CDC and Bark Collaborate on Groundbreaking Study

This new joint national study — published in JAMA Network Open — reveals how suicidal ideation and self-harm in kids and their online activities are tied.

The researchers found an association between suicidal ideation and exposure to concerning content such as violence, profanity, and hate speech.

THE CDC AND BARK FOUND:

Red flags related to youth mental health can be spotted earlier

“This research shows that red flags related to youth mental health can be spotted earlier and this may open up new opportunities to connect with and help children.”


Dr. Steven Sumner
Lead study author and senior advisor for data science and innovation at the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Warning Signs Often Appear in Online Activities

As this new report confirms, a child’s online presence frequently hints at what they’re struggling with.

Signs of suicide and self-harm can be hidden in social media comments, web searches, and even in Google Docs!

If you need support, Bark is here to help by alerting you if your own child may be struggling with their mental health.

suicidal cellphone conversation

“Thank you! I can’t explain how grateful I am to Bark for the self-harm/suicide notification. My son googled the suicide prevention hotline number to give to a friend that was struggling. Because of Bark, it opened up a line of communication with him. We were able to talk through it and I could provide him with the tools to reach out and help his friend.”

—A Bark parent

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How to Talk With Your Child About Suicide

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Top 10 Resources for Suicide Prevention

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A Resource Guide for Families

In 2021, Bark found:

Severe self-harm/suicide for teens and tweens increased by 143% year over year.

With Bark, Parents Can:

Monitor content

Get alerts for issues like bullying, predators, sexual content, and more.

Manage screen time

Create custom daily screen time schedules for your child’s device.

Filter websites

Block access to specific websites or even whole categories.

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Features
  • Manage screen time
  • Filter which websites your kids can visit
  • Keep up with kids with location alerts and check-ins
  • Monitor texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and platforms
  • Get alerts for issues like cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more

Additional Suicide Prevention Resources

Help protect your child online

Our award-winning service monitors texts, email, and social media for not only online predators, but also depression, suicidal ideation, bullying, violence, and more.