I’ve been talking a lot about bullying recently: I wrote a post about how can try to prevent our kids from becoming bullies, and also one about how to make sure our kids are allies in bullying situations. In the latter post I included a quote from Eyes on Bullying that I think bears repeating:
“Most bystanders passively accept bullying by watching and doing nothing. Often without realizing it, these bystanders also contribute to the problem. Passive bystanders provide the audience a bully craves and the silent acceptance that allows bullies to continue their hurtful behavior.”
There seems to be increasing awareness about the role bystanders play in bullying – especially given the fact that it’s the role the majority of kids will play in bullying situations. Last week I learned about an iphone app that is geared towards reinforcing kids to stand up to bullies instead of being passive bystanders. I’m pretty stoke on the game, and so are my kids. It’s called Awesome Upstander!, and it’s a side-scrolling adventure game where kids race through school cafeterias and bathrooms to rescue a target from a bully. To rescue the child being targeted, kids have to collect enough friends to become upstanders and stand up to the bully together. The game teaches a really great lesson, but for me the biggest test would be whether or not my kids actually enjoyed playing it. 
My kids love to play on my iphone and this game was a hit. It’s got enough action and incentive that my kids play it for long stretches (with Jafta often yelling at the bully as he plays – it’s pretty funny). The game has different levels they can unlock and fun hidden objects and challenges so it’s very engaging. Best of all, the game reinforces the concept of respecting and protecting others. 
This game was developed by a child psychologist, and I am a huge fan. If you are interested, Awesome Upstander! can be played for free at their website. It can also be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Android’s Google Play for $0.99. 
This post was sponsored by Awesome Upstander! My enthusiasm for the game is all my own. 🙂
