The stress and tribulations of the school can be severe for many children and parent alike, but how can we set up sufficient systems for people to reach out and talk? As more children become affected by bullying in the digital age, we’re here to propose how we can help schools by creating a bespoke VoIP bully helpline.
Many individuals have had horrific bullying experiences in schools, yet a lot of schools can’t even help. Why is this? Because many are unaware that it is going on. However, the reasons can be down to a lot of things; the primary issue often being that the children being afraid of disclosing the abuse to a teacher or member of staff. Many children often fear the unknown consequences of admitting being bullied and ultimately, this stops them from coming forward. Being a father myself, I know my two daughters will do anything to get away from an awkward conversation that will make them feel uncomfortable, especially face to face.
So, what if every school had a way of allowing children to communicate outside and inside of school hours? How can we solve the uncomfortable feeling of talking face to face? Skipping the laborious and difficult task of articulating their problem via email or statement can be substituted for a friendly phone call. What if every school had the option of allowing children to express themselves anonymously while giving teachers a subtle hint that something’s not quite right? The call may even go to a specific set of skilled members of staff, who are trained to help in unique situations.
What if every school had a VoIP bully helpline?
The aim is to create a unique ‘Child Line’ channel where pupils can call at any time and speak with qualified professionals who can guide them on the best course of action. With many children now owning their smartphone, it couldn’t be easier for them to reach out in private. Whether that be for help themselves, or a friend who wants to ensure the school know about a specific situation. The main goal is that they can do so in confidence and in private.
Traditionally, we would associate such helplines being operated over a standard’ phone line’ when they can be created via VoIP quickly and effectively with minimal costs. Schools will not require physical phones to take the call, all they need is broadband, which most already have. The system can be set up using a directory of teachers & staff who currently practice as councillors within the school. Call flows could be filtered to reach specific teachers who deal with the unique problem that the child states at the beginning of the phone; it will also redirect to another line on days where the chosen teacher is unavailable. Pupils make the call, select their year group, state their issue and the teacher’s PC / mobile rings — all at no cost to the school.=
We’d love to reach out to schools across the UK to see how we could make this work for them.
Give us a call on 0800 024 8974 to see how we can help your school.
