So, there are many ways to tackle the problem of bullying, right? But who knew there were so many interactive and useful Apps online, specifically designed for children or parents to help with this issue?
I am impressed that technology has begun to place so much emphasis in this area which, until now, has been largely ignored and almost undetected in our schools. Children are also becoming progressively more tech savvy, spending increasingly long periods of unsupervised time online. In order to keep them safe, we have to devise new methods to protect, support and empower them so they can be more confident and resilient. The proliferation of anti-bully Apps is definitely an advancement in how we address this social issue.
The average teen spends up to seven hours a day in contact with others on electronic devices and so are even more at risk of experiencing aggressive behaviours online. Unfortunately, some kids have been using electronic devices to engage in the phenomenon called cyber-bullying. Now, however, we have the ability, with the help of these Apps, to teach our children and responsible adults how to use their devices to combat bullying. They can be used by victims, bystanders, teachers and even parents.
What are the pros and cons though? Let's look at a few.
Pros:
Can be used so that kids easily capture or report incidents of bullying
Parents can monitor kids' online activities and receive real-time reports of any act of bullying against them
Some have web-filtering capability so they are able to screen an incoming web page and determine whether some, or all of it, should be displayed to the user.
Some Apps allow parents to remotely access their child's device for monitoring purposes
Some Apps allow parents to restrict the length of time their child spends online
Cons:
Most children are not allowed to use electronics during a very vulnerable time period - school hours
Some of the best Apps are expensive
Some Apps do not allow free demos nor free trials
By now you would have realized that there are many resources available to help you and your kids deal with bullying. Some Apps which BPKI highly recommends may be found here.
As we grow, we will be sharing with you the latest information available to guide teachers, parents and children in dealing with the issue of bullying. In the meantime - go check out some Apps!