Smart phone app to fight child abuse

A smart phone app for school pupils that facilitates anonymous reporting of sexual abuse or bullying has been launched in South Africa.

Creator Marc Hardwick‚ speaking at the launch in Durban on Wednesday‚ said the Guardian Schools app gives children a safe and instant portal to report contentious issues.

Schools that sign up for the app‚ at a monthly fee of R500‚ designate a team of staff members to receive the faceless reports‚ with any pupil who downloads the app able to report abuse or malfeasance.

“When a report is submitted‚ it will arrive as an e-mail to the predefined staff members informing them to log in to the system to access the details of the report and take the necessary action to safeguard the child‚” said Hardwick.

“The staff members have the ability to request further information from the reporter but will never know their identity. This is extremely important to us‚ as the power of the app is ensuring the anonymity of the reporter‚” he added.

Once the school investigates the matter‚ they can choose to refer the matter to the police.

“We believe that this application will not only help children to report abuse and get the help and support they need timeously‚ but will make sure the perpetrators are brought to book.

“We see it as a proactive tool in the fight against these kinds of crimes which often go unreported as children are too afraid to speak up‚” he said.

Hardwick said that the need for an abuse reporting portal had been underscored by the Parktown Boys High School scandal‚ in which over 20 pupils were allegedly sexually abused by a water polo coach.

• Parktown Boys' High coach in court over sexual assault chargesA Parktown Boys' High water polo coach on Wednesday appeared briefly in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court‚ where he faces charges of sexually assaulting pupils at the school.

 “If the school had had the app there is a possibility that the kids could have made a disclosure about what was happening to them and the abuse may not have been so widespread‚” he said.

A pilot version of the app was launched late last year.

On its website‚ the organisation states that it works with a host of schools including Kearsney College‚ Michael Mount Waldorf‚ Michaelhouse‚ Midrand Montessori‚ Redhill School‚ Roedean School and Sacred Heart College.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE