North East Kids Urged to sign up to Anti-bullying app

A Durham-based bullying support group are urging North East kids to sign up to a new app.

Working with Childline, kids can get confidential counselling through the For Me service,

Now 71% of counselling sessions are delivered online via email and 1-2-1 chat, with the majority of the remaining counselling sessions being conducted with a young person via their mobile phone.

Last year, 1.8 million sessions on the Childline website were conducted via mobile devices. 

The app has been named ‘For Me’ to ensure that it can be discreetly installed on mobile devices, meaning that if someone happens to see the phone they can’t tell that it’s a Childline service.

It is now available from the iOS app store with an Android version due to be released in the coming weeks.

Val McFarlane is from Bullying Intervention Durham; she explains the support needs to keep up with technology;

“Bullying is keeping up with technology, bullying is now able to happen through smart phones, through computers etc…

“We need to keep up with the solutions, we need to keep up with technology.”Laura Hindle, who is one of the team who invented the app, said: “I am so proud to see 'For Me' in the app store and hope it will really make a difference to people our age who are struggling. Our initial ideas for the app came about during a school lesson when we were thinking of ways to make technology benefit the community.

“Watching the idea evolve into a reality has been quite a journey and it’s great to see the finished product ready to help young people. Let's hope the app goes from strength to strength by offering invaluable support in such an accessible format.”John Cameron, Head of Childline Services at the NSPCC said:“Launching the ‘For Me’ app shows how we’re continuing to capitalise on new technology to give children and young people the easiest possible access to Childline’s free and confidential advice and support. Its development will enable our younger generation to tap directly into Childline’s expanding range of services through their mobile phone whenever and wherever they need our help.”