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This app has wonderful intentions, but I fear that it won't work in real life. By merely downloading the app, kids will be labeling themselves as bullied. Th

This app has wonderful intentions, but I fear that it won't work in real life. By merely downloading the app, kids will be labeling themselves as bullied. This opens up a variety of new avenues for bullies to ply their trade - from new insults ("You're such a loser you had to install that Sit With Us app") all the way up to sociopaths that install the app and extend a fake invitation to sit with them for the express purpose of further victimizing their targets. Bullies will weaponize any means of escape that their victims attempt to utilize. Perhaps a more effective app would be one that lets parents register to field complaints about their kids' behavior from anyone.

tinus_hn 10y ago
The app is both for children who are bullied and those that want to help, so that kind of spying wouldn't work. Plenty of children do want to help but don't know how and this idea can help. Surely a bullied child won't be invited to the popular kids clique but having some normal people to talk to is a great start.
- downandout 10y ago
  >Surely a bullied child won't be invited to the popular kids clique My fear is that they indeed will be invited as a joke, only to meet with in-person rejection. Along the lines of "HAHAHA you thought that was a real invitation?".
  - anotheryou 10y ago
    I also wondered how this could work. Maybe et people vote against abusers and have some local teachers with veto power (usually they know who is bully and who gets bullied I think). Especially positive votes could be less likely to be faked, it would require more work to fake reputation than to abuse the abuse-button. edit: A much easier solution: Educate the bullied on how the system could be used against them and that they simply have to glance over if it's the bullies sitting at the table or normal kids. I think most bullies are just joining in, but wouldn't initiate setting someone up. The worst however will initiate such a thing, but those are probably already known to you as a bullied.
  - appleiigs 10y ago
    Maybe the app would tell you who is doing the inviting. You'd know from the person if it was sincere or not.

tinus_hn 10y ago

The app is both for children who are bullied and those that want to help, so that kind of spying wouldn't work. Plenty of children do want to help but don't know how and this idea can help. Surely a bullied child won't be invited to the popular kids clique but having some normal people to talk to is a great start.

downandout 10y ago
>Surely a bullied child won't be invited to the popular kids clique My fear is that they indeed will be invited as a joke, only to meet with in-person rejection. Along the lines of "HAHAHA you thought that was a real invitation?".
- anotheryou 10y ago
  I also wondered how this could work. Maybe et people vote against abusers and have some local teachers with veto power (usually they know who is bully and who gets bullied I think). Especially positive votes could be less likely to be faked, it would require more work to fake reputation than to abuse the abuse-button. edit: A much easier solution: Educate the bullied on how the system could be used against them and that they simply have to glance over if it's the bullies sitting at the table or normal kids. I think most bullies are just joining in, but wouldn't initiate setting someone up. The worst however will initiate such a thing, but those are probably already known to you as a bullied.
- appleiigs 10y ago
  Maybe the app would tell you who is doing the inviting. You'd know from the person if it was sincere or not.