SMYRNA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / November 10, 2022 / An average of 4,400 children ranging in age from seven to fourteen commit suicide each year, with half of those suicides being directly related to bullying. In addition, 160,000 middle school students skip school every single day because they are afraid to go to school.
In response to these alarming figures, behavioral and developmental therapist, author, and Founder of the anti-bullying nonprofit, Tiny Be Mighty, Tara Lynn Townes, has developed a new ground-breaking mobile app that provides the first of its kind solutions to confront the nationwide bullying epidemic.
The game-changing Bullying Buddy mobile app uses advanced technology to increase the security and protection of bullying victims through its instant alert and messaging features. With the click of a button, the app begins live recording audio and video during a bullying incident. The user is able to alert his or her parents and administrators instantly. The emergency button within the app can be voice or manually activated, while giving the users the option to select whether they are a victim or a bystander. The videos are then saved in an encrypted database.
"The app is quick," said Townes. "It addresses safety instantly. As a mom, if you're at work, if you're at your desk, or at home, you get a text alert instantly and you see what your child is going through. What makes this a game-changer is that you're able to chat with your child at that moment. Administrators also get an alert immediately, so they are aware of what is happening. The app's tracking feature helps contribute to suicide prevention."
To address the deeper issues that lead to bullying, and the effects it has on students, parents, and our society as a collective, the app provides an Information Station, where users are educated about bullying and have access to empowerment tools and licensed clinical professionals. As part of the anti-bullying movement Townes has initiated through her children's books, and the establishment of her foundation, she is also the author of the "Be Brave" empathy-based curriculum, which was created to address embracing diversity, building self-esteem, and redirecting negative behaviors through an experiential approach. It includes activities and videos to educate students about bullying. As a proponent of experiential learning, Townes believes the curriculum will reach children at their level. She goes on to say, "it's not a lesson. They're getting an experience."
With an estimated 50% of bullying incidents for school students across the United States occurring through cyberbullying, the app works to combat this by capturing social media posts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram and informing them through the backend.
"Now, rather than waiting for the platform to remove the post, the Bullying Buddy app has patent-pending technology that is able to notify them about what is going on instantly," says Townes.
Previously, the CDC did not have accurate statistics to pass legislative proposals needed to thoroughly address bullying. With the Bullying Buddy app, data collected in real time and stored in a database can now provide the organization with the proper numbers. Townes has continued to embark on her journey for change by meeting with local representatives to discuss the policies needed in the educational systems. She also travels nationwide to lead worship and training events regarding bullying prevention as part of a National anti-bullying campaign that is backed and supported by professional athletes and influencers.
"This has been my seven-year passion to give them the proper numbers so they can move forward with different bills," said Townes.
In 2017, Townes published the children's book, Tiny But Mighty, a story about diversity, acceptance, and courageous triumph. It was through her son's personal struggles with bullying that Townes realized she needed to become proactive in creating change for not only her son but for bullied children across the country.
"Tiny But Mighty is very near and dear to my heart because it introduces children to diversity and how to cope with it," says Townes. "It also tells about the journey of triumph. I am a mom on a mission. My son has been my inspiration because he was bullied as a result of having Dwarfism. He introduced me to my calling here on earth."
Townes reveals that her new book, Are you Raising a Bully?, is set to be released later this month. The guide is intended for parents, administrators, and others who interact with youth. It will provide readers with useful information to recognize bullying and how to stop it in its tracks.
In addition, Townes will soon launch STOMP, the adult version of the Bullying Buddy App to help address corporate bullying, domestic violence, racial crimes, elder abuse, financial abuse, collegiate violations, and human trafficking.
The Bullying Buddy App is a resolution for bullying! Bullying Buddy supports the receiver, watcher, bully, teachers, policymakers, and parents by extending education, reporting tools, alerts, and a locator. For more information about Bullying Buddy, please visit its website or contact:
Tara Lynn Townes
(404) 369-0157
(949) 439-0064
[email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BullyingBuddyConsulting
T-Shirt Campaign: https://inktothepeople.com/bullying-buddy-
SOURCE: Bullying Buddy