With another national solution to the problem of bullying, Iconosys launches its new "Bully Meter," a fun awareness self-polling app that rates -- and helps you keep tabs on -- your potential inner bully
Laguna Niguel, California, July 10, 2012 - Iconosys, Inc., a leading mobile safety Smartphone 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 our loved ones from being harassed and bullied thru the use of text messaging.
As discussed in a recent story by Fox News, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) announced that attempted teen suicide rates have grown from 6.3% in 2009 to 7.8% in 2011. The article goes on to say, "Teen suicide has been a topic of much concern as cyber bullying 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 percent to 75 percent of children report being victims of at least one incident of severe or significant bullying during the past year.
Have you ever wondered if you or your child is actually a bully, or perhaps displaying bully-like tendencies? Now with the Bully Meter, you can find out how your child ranks based on a series of questions that 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," said Ryan Foland, author of Bully Buster OC Parent Resource Guide. "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.
"The National Education Association estimates that 160,000 students are absent from school every day simply due to a desire to avoid being bullied," said Wayne Irving, CEO of Iconosys, Inc. "Hopefully the Bully Meter™ from Iconosys will get us all thinking just a little more about our own behavior and how we may be perceived by others."
WHERE TO GET:
Bully Meter is available for download from adShark's AppHysteria AppStore and at www.Iconosys.com. Bully Meter™ is compatible with most Android OS Smartphones and tablets.
ABOUT ICONOSYS, INC:
Iconosys, a member of the National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) and the maker of the widely used and well-publicized Word Bully™, Guard's Up!™, LatchKey Kid™, and My Max Speed™ Smartphone apps, is developing technologies and technology driven products for its clients with a goal toward designing apps that enrich, enhance, and ultimately make safer, our day-to-day lives.
Iconosys develops Apps and technologies for iOS and Android OS Smartphones and tablet computers. See a cross section of some of Iconosys' catalog of nearly 3000 Smart device apps from your Smartphone browser: http://apps.iconosys.com, and from your computer browser: http://iconosys.com/product.php.
