Singapore taps SMS craze to discourage bullying

Singapore is harnessing the power of SMS text messaging to fight an old scourge: bullying in schools, reports The Age.

"A campaign unveiled in the local media today ahead of Bully Free Week starting September 13 is calling upon secondary school students, many of whom own mobile phones, to discourage name-calling, beating and meanness.

They are being asked to send their peers the message "Be cool, be bully-free" during the week to raise awareness of a prevalent but seldom discussed problem which, according to a survey, affects almost half the city-state's teenagers.

The anti-bullying drive joins a growing list of social improvement campaigns in Singapore. Among other things, Singaporeans are consistently urged by posters and media campaigns to "speak good English", avoid littering, be courteous and always flush toilets and urinals. "

emily | 7:43 AM | Bullying by SMS |
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