Hackney Council have launched a new free mobile application that they hope will educate children and parents about online abuse.

The Hackney Safer Schools App launched in April and will provide users with information on topics such as online bullying, sexting, media literacy, mental health and online gaming.

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville said: “It has been well documented that young people are spending more time online after schools shut in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, it is important now more than ever for parents and carers to understand the risks and dangers their children face online”.

He also said that the app will provide all the adequate information users could need, whenever they need it. 

Hackney Council said that their local safeguarding partnership team has already experienced an increased number of reports relating to online child abuse and are launching the app in response to that, in the hope of complimenting information children and parents have already received from their schools. 

The council also said that the app will further help parents and carers empower and protect their children, with a version for teachers, school staff and other safeguarding professionals also in development.

Website Digital Trends reported in April that an Israeli AI company called L1ght, who had been tracking online bullying, published a report showing that there had been a 70% increase in “hate between kids and teens during online chats” and a 40% increase in “toxicity on popular gaming platforms” since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The Metro also wrote in April that the same report said cyberbullying against people from Asia has increased by 900% since the coronavirus pandemic began.