Bullying: Help Prevent and Protect Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Device

I don’t remember being bullied as a kid, but my younger sister once was.

When she was in junior high, a jealous schoolmate who ran in a small tough pack threatened to “beat up” my quiet, mild-mannered sibling at an unspecified time and day during her walk home from school. Sound familiar?

Back then (in an era before text messaging and bullying awareness), a well-placed phone call to a high school football player friend of mine who knew said bully made that problem go away. Fast. (Rest assured, no kneecaps were broken; the bully went unharmed.)

This was how we rolled back in … well … that YouTube-less decade.

Thankfully, things are different now. Bullying—of both the in-person and cyber variety—is top of mind for not only teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators but also law enforcement, government leaders, celebrities, student activists and the social media universe as a whole. It’s not considered a “part of growing up” anymore. Parents are surely aware of the issue, but getting a child to admit being bullied and by whom is another matter. So is acting on that information once you receive it.

The KnowBullying app**** from the StopBullying.gov team at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) can help. Available for both iOs and Android devices, KnowBullying puts the tools to prevent or stop bullying in your back pocket or purse. The app offers a host of information, including:

• What to look for in a child who is being bullied;
• How to talk about bullying with a child, including conversation starters;
• Information about kids who are at higher risk for bullying; and
• Strategies and resources for stopping bullying in its tracks.

According to the CDC and SAMHSA, nearly one-fifth of all students in grades nine to 12 have been bullied on school property and almost 15% of students in these grades have experienced cyberbullying. As various YouTube videos have shown, the results can be devastating and even fatal. Talking with kids about it can be a powerful antidote. KnowBullying helps you do just that and just possibly without any awkwardness or angst … or that familiar eye-rolling from your tween or teen.

Have no fear: You can download this and other cool mobile government apps with just a few clicks from our USA.gov Apps Gallery.