Bullied in Howard County? There’s An App to Report That

Children and parents in Howard County will soon have access to a desktop or mobile app to report bullying anonymously online as it happens.

The California-based company that make Sprigeo.com, the bullying reporting app, has donated it to Howard County so it can be used for free among its residents, according to a county news release.

The app is part of a larger program in Howard County to deal with the issue of bullying, which has made headlines after Howard County’s 15-year-old Grace McComas committed suicide on Easter Sunday in 2012 following what the Baltimore Sun called nearly a year of “electronic torment.”

Statewide, “Grace’s Law,” scheduled to be signed into law this week by Gov. Martin O’Malley, makes it a misdemeanor to harass minors using computers, cell phones or other means of electronic communication.

County executive Ken Ulman’s anti-bullying initiative, in addition to the app, will also include $250,000 in the county’s proposed fiscal year 2014 budget spent on a marketing campaign designed to stem bullying and a county coordinator position in the Office of Children’s Services.

Here’s how the app, which will “go live” and be available for use at the beginning of the school year, works: Kids and parents can use the app on a mobile device or a desktop and the reports are immediately delivered by email or text message to designated officials, which include officials in county schools and libraries.

Also, officials from the Howard County Office of Children’s Services will review the reports. That office will oversee the initiative, according to a release.

The app includes a form that asks questions on where the bullying incident occurred, who was doing the bullying and who was being bullied. 

“We are taking the same technology that has the potential to be harmful to kids, through cyberbullying, and using it to help,” Ulman said in a news release.

Howard County spokesman David Nitkin said currently, students report bullying by going to the office at school, and submitting a paper form with their name on it.

“We believe bullying is grossly underreported,” Nitkin said. “It’s underreported because of the way the system is set up. … The county executive wants to expand it beyond schools and have the reporting system be easier.”

“It’s not like there’s going to be bully police everywhere, but if you are at a park … you have a way to report, ‘Hey, this happened, and I want you to know about it,’” Nitkin added. 

See related links:

Report: A Howard County Teen Suicide Inspires Anti-Bullying Bill

Has Social Media Made Bullying Worse in Howard County?

Bullied Columbia Teen Receives Thousands of Messages of Support After Mother's Social Media Plea