Phil Bystrican hopes software he has developed will help fellow students counter bullying.
The Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute has developed a smartphone app for the Lakehead Public School Board that allows students to anonymously report instances of bullying and harassment. “It feels amazing to have developed an app that gives people an opportunity to change the lives of students through reporting bullying in ways they never would have been able to before,” Bystrican said. “There’s a lot of bullying that goes on in high schools. Students don’t really know how to deal with it, or they don’t want to deal with it through teachers or parents for fear of getting caught.”
Bystrican has been involved in creating apps for more than four years, and has eight different apps available.
His newest creation is free to download and provides suggestions on how to handle different bullying scenarios.
In addition, users have the option of submitting a tip of an incident directly through the app, where they complete an information form.
That information is then sent to the local Crime Stoppers unit to determine how to best handle the situation.
Const. Julie Tilbury of the Thunder Bay Police believes the initiative is a measure to better connect with youth, and allowing them to communicate at their convenience.
She also hopes the anonymous nature of the reporting system will allow students to feel a sense of protection. “We know that with young people sometimes for them to step forward with information they have,” Tilbury said. “They’re afraid of retribution, especially in the high school years it’s a very hard time for a lot of students.”
Police will investigate any serious tips while passing forward matters of a less urgent nature to the associated school.
The school board unveiled the app on the opening day of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.at a launch in the Churchill library.
Education officer Eric Frederickson explained the development of the app is a progression of the board’s existing attitudes towards technology.
He said the board encourages students to use their smartphones and similar devices to enhance their learning. “Technology is an important part of what we’re doing in our classrooms and in our schools,” he said. “Having an app that addresses school safety is a good fit with that.”
The board will also hold events at Hammarskjold High School, Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Claude E. Garton Public School, Nor’wester View Public School and Kakabeka Falls District Public School during the week.
It was also announced that their annual We Stand Up event will continue next year. It is expected that 1,400 students will attend the event next April, which will be highlighted by a keynote address from Free the Children founder Craig Kielburger.
↧