BLOG: How to Know if You're a Bully

Want to know if you're a bully? Pick up your smart phone.

Iconosys, Inc., a leading mobile safety smart phone application developer, is pleased to announce the release of the new Bully Meter app.

This product follows on the heels of its recent partnering with Bully Buster USA and BullyPolice.org, and the successful rollout of such groundbreaking apps as Trick or Tracker, the bi-directional family locator, and Word Bully 3.0, the only app that protects loved ones from being harassed and bullied via text messaging.

As discussed in a recent story by Fox News, the Center for Disease Control announced that attempted teen suicide rates have grown from 6.3 percent in 2009 to 7.8 percent in 2011. 

The article goes on to say:

Teen suicide has been a topic of much concern as cyberbullying cases have been highlighted across the country. A recent example was the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student who killed himself after his roommate streamed a sexual encounter online.

An alarming percentage of young people encounter bullying at one time or another during their early school years. Among the many research groups that publish such statistics, estimates range from 10-75 percent of children report being victims of  at least one incident of severe or significant bullying episode during the past year.

Have you ever wondered if you or your child is actually a bully, or perhaps displaying bully-like tendencies? With the Bully Meter, you can find out how your child ranks based on a series of questions which help the user determine and identify personality traits that are shared with bullies.

Helping to identify bullying behavior is a key step in prevention simply because many people may not consider themselves to be a bully due to a lack of awareness. 

This app is a fun way to bring shed light on and bring attention to behaviors or tendencies that may indicate someone is a potential bully or has bullying tendencies. I believe self-awareness of behavior is a vital first step for  determining an acceptable baseline of behavior for children and adults alike and taking action to make meaningful changes and improvements in such behavior.

It is well established that children and youth who bully are also more likely to have friends who bully and who have positive attitudes toward violence. And the destructive impact and toll that bullying can take on its victims starts, and often does not end with, a loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, and can lead to low grades, depression and withdrawal from social situations, as well.

 Children and youth who frequently bully their peers are also more likely to:

• Get into frequent fights

• Be injured in a fight

• Vandalize property

• Steal property

• Drink alcohol

• Smoke

• Be truant from school

• Drop out of school

• Carry a weapon

Bully Buster USA and Iconosys are each committed to bringing national attention and solutions to the serious issues of bullying and cyber-bullying through technological tools, such as this new app.