69传媒

Ed-Tech Policy

Software Program Aims to Combat Bullying

By Catherine Gewertz 鈥 August 08, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

An Australian company is trying to interest U.S. schools in a new tool to combat bullying: an online voting system that lets students identify bullies.

Bully Beater was first marketed this summer in the United Kingdom, where about 20 schools subscribed to it, said Dominic Swinn, a spokesman for Sydney-based BigPulse, which created the tool. The company is now trying to interest U.S. and Australian schools in the product. 69传媒 using the subscription service list all students alphabetically online. Using a password assigned to them, students 鈥渧ote鈥 for peers who have been bullies to them or to others. Only school staff members can see who gets the votes and who voted. A companion poll allows students to identify the types of bullying they鈥檝e experienced.

BigPulse representatives hope the system will make children more likely to report bullying than if they had to do so in person at school. Allowing staff members to see which students cast votes helps protect against malicious reports, they said.

Read more about .

Some experts greeted the product with caution. Mark Weiss, the education director of Operation Respect, a New York City-based nonprofit group that works on school climate issues, said handling bullying must be part of a more complex endeavor to involve students and staff members in actively building trust and respect.

Mr. Swinn said the company knows 鈥渋t鈥檚 not an answer to the whole problem, but it could hopefully act as a deterrent.鈥

He noted that schools can use the company鈥檚 School Poll service, of which Bully Beater is one part, to set up online surveys to gather feedback on pertinent issues, from lunchroom cuisine to harassment at school.

A version of this article appeared in the August 09, 2006 edition of Education Week

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy Here's When Most Americans Think Cellphones Should Be Banned
Banning cellphones during class is very popular with American adults.
5 min read
A student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif. Gavin Newsom sent letters Tuesday, Aug. 13, to school districts, urging them to restrict students鈥 use of smartphones on campus.
A student uses a cellphone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Ed-Tech Policy Cellphone Restrictions Are Coming to California 69传媒
A new law requires all public schools in California to limit students' access to cellphones during the school day.
2 min read
Young girl using a cellphone in class. On her desk is an open notebook and a pencil.
skynesher / iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy From Our Research Center Why 69传媒 Are Getting a Jump on Their Smartwatch Policies
A small but growing number of schools are adding smartwatches to their cellphone policies.
4 min read
Student is working in a school notebook with a pen. He has a smart watch on his wrist.
Forty percent of educators think smartwatches pose a behavioral or disciplinary challenge, new research shows.
galitskaya/iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy Teachers Want Cellphones Out of Classrooms
Members of the nation's largest teachers' union say they want bans on cellphones during class time.
3 min read
A sign is shown over a phone holder in a classroom at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A sign in a classroom at Delta High School in February reinforces the policy of the rural Utah school that students check their phones at the door as they enter each classroom.
Rick Bowmer/AP