The Safe Zone Reporting App will be placed on the backburner for now as Supreme Counselling for Personal Development prioritises other initiatives in its attempt to eliminate bullying across Barbados.
“We still have it. It is still active,” Clarke said in reference to the app. “Now that we are doing intervention programmes, I think the two go hand-in-hand. We are doing everything in phases,” said Chief Executive Officer Shawn Clarke.
“You would have noticed we had our march and rally which was a pretty successful event last Monday. We are now at the stage where we are looking to train all adults on school premises (teaching staff and non teaching staff) how to respond to a case of bullying when it happens, how to investigate the matter and communicate that with families. That is where our focus is right now and immediately after that we are going to refocus all energies on the promotion of the app.”
Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Counselling, Shawn Clarke. (Picture by Jameel Springer)
Clarke said the app, which was launched on May 12, 2021, has not had much traffic in the two years of its existence largely down to the COVID-19 pandemic which meant students were learning from home.
Despite that, it has generally been well accepted in the pilot phase by the eight schools: Frederick Smith Secondary, The Lester Vaughan School, Grantley Adams Memorial, Princess Margaret Secondary, St George Secondary, Coleridge & Parry, Graydon Sealy Secondary and Daryll Jordan Secondary.
“The students have been pretty receptive towards it and its use,” Clarke said. “Obviously you will not have one hundred per cent support as some students refer to it as the snitch app but in most parts, schools are supportive. The idea now is to get the children using the app and when reports are made, getting them investigated and actioned.”
However, in Clarke’s opinion, the app which was delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Maria Holder Memorial Trust did suffer with its public relations in the initial stages.
“Barbadians who should have known better tried to shut down the app because of political aspirations, ” he said.
“I remember the current President of the Democratic Labour Party (Dr Ronnie Yearwood) wrote an article against the app. I think the article was more targeted against the Minister of Education at the time (Santia Bradshaw) but it was unfortunate that the app suffered as a result of any [disagreement] he would have had with the Minister of that time.”
He continued: “There was also an attorney-at-law that cried down the app, speaking about data protection laws and so on. I think the question one would need to ask is ‘will the app do more good than bad?’ Are you going to look at those laws when I can get information that says Student A plans to hurt himself and get that student the intervention that is needed?
“I don’t necessarily see that as being malicious or putting their private information out there, but more like putting things in place to save them from themselves.”
The App can be used to report violence, delinquency, misbehaviour, self-harm and bullying.
In Clarke’s opinion, having people like these verbally stand against the app caused an outcry from ordinary Barbadians which would have dampened the interest in it, leaving it dormant.
Hundreds of children took part in the rally. (Picture by Shanice King)
For now the Supreme Counselling is looking to train all adults on school premises (teaching staff and non-teaching staff) how to respond to a case of bullying when it happens, how to investigate the matter and communicate that with families.
A joint meeting will be held very soon with the parents of the schools from the eight schools mentioned above. Once that is achieved, focus will be redirected towards the promotion of the app which is still alive and functioning.
When the app was launched almost two years ago, Clarke said it “offers the option of sending the report anonymously, which is one of the app’s most compelling features, it removes the main factor that deters students and other members of society from reporting bullying incidents and other negative behaviours displayed by our students.”
It continues to be available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play Store. (JC)