Erik’s Cause

Erik Robinson

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Erik’s Cause was founded in memory of 12-year-old Erik Robinson, whose life was tragically taken by a dangerous online challenge he did not understand. His death was preventable. That truth drives every aspect of our work. Children deserve honest information about the risks they may encounter online. Adults deserve resources that help them guide, protect, and communicate effectively with young people. Erik’s Cause bridges the gap between what kids experience on social platforms and what adults often know.

Our programs are skills-based, non-graphic, evidence-informed, and age-appropriate. They empower children to make safe decisions and equip adults to have meaningful, supportive conversations. Our vision is a world where no child loses their life to a preventable online challenge and where communities understand how to keep kids safe in an evolving digital landscape.

OUR STORY

Turning our Tragedy into Action
to Fight Online Harms

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Our offerings

Erik’s Cause centers on prevention education — teaching kids, supporting parents, and pushing broader awareness and safety efforts around dangerous social media-driven challenges and online harms.

  • A skill-based classroom module titled “Navigating Online Harms” helps students recognize and understand the real dangers of viral online challenges and broader online harms. It promotes critical thinking, teaches refusal and peer-pressure resistance skills, and encourages healthier decision-making. The program is fully scripted, adaptable to health/digital wellness curricula, and offered free of charge.

  • Complementing the student training, structured parent workshops equip caregivers with background on online risks, warning signs, and concrete strategies for talking with their kids. These sessions help bridge communication between home and school on sensitive topics like social media influence. The workshops are designed to reinforce what students learn and expand the parent’s toolkit.  

  • Erik’s Cause engages in awareness-building by sharing advocacy links and partnering with aligned organizations working to highlight online harms and social media challenge risks. They support broader efforts to influence policy, elevate public understanding, and spur safer digital environments for kids. This work connects community, education, and policy levels around online safety.

  • The organization provides downloadable resources — including research, fact sheets, and educational guides — tailored to educators, families, and young people. These materials support improved literacy around online risk behaviors and give actionable tips for prevention and early intervention. The resource hub also lists other groups working on related safety issues.

  • "It was very powerful. We had a huge response from students. Many were angry when they found out apps, facial recognition, algorithms and AI determined what we see on our devices. The students were concerned that so many challenges are dangerous/deadly..."

    —Donna Nichols, Health/PE Teacher, Spring Middle School (Maury School District, TN)

  • "...It was incredible! Thank you for offering this program this summer. It is something we will continue to do with our students"

    —Donna Nichols, Health/PE Teacher, Spring Middle School (Maury School District, TN)

Online Harms Research &
Reference Material

● Additional Resources

Today’s digital landscape moves fast — faster than most parents, educators, and even platforms can track. Some online trends and “challenges” can expose young people to serious physical and neurological harm, often without them fully understanding the risk.

This resource hub exists to educate, equip, and empower families, educators, and organizations with research-backed information and practical tools.

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Start the conversation that makes a difference. Request more information to support education, prevention, and safer outcomes for kids and families.

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