The BBC has created a smartphone app called Own It, which is aimed at children and designed to help tackle cyberbullying.

Own It has been praised by the Duke of Cambridge for providing “positive and practical” steps to stop children from sending or receiving unpleasant messages.

The app works by monitoring how young people interact with others using messaging apps. It is a downloadable special key-board that offers real-time interventions when certain words are used and monitors the tone of the messages.

If the app detects risky content in a message it will prompt the user to check whether they definitely want to send it. The app will also offer advice or encourage them to talk to trusted adults.

“The digital world is a fantastic place for people to learn and share, but we know many young people struggle to find a healthy online balance, especially when they get their first phones,” said Alice Webb, director of BBC Children’s, in a statement.

Own It also contains its own content that seeks to encourage young people to manage the amount of time they spend on their smartphone and offers them advise about responsible online interaction.

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The BBC said the app would also regularly encourage children to talk to parents and guardians about good and bad online experiences and their phone use. It also has a reporting system that parents can consult to oversee phone use.

Prof Sonia Livingstone, a social psychologist from the London School of Economics who heads the EU Kids Online project which researches the digital diets of younger people, said the app would be “warmly welcomed” by some parents.

“Based on my research on children’s online risks and opportunities, I think it should be very helpful for children, especially younger ones, and ideally would also stimulate constructive conversations between children and parents,” she said.

Livingstone praised the app for protecting the young user’s privacy, which many apps fail to do, enabling their parents or guardians to monitor and control their online lives.

The Duke, who launched a cyberbullying task force, said: “It is fantastic the BBC has launched an app which will provide support to young people as they navigate the online world.

“I am delighted to see this positive and practical outcome resulting from The Royal Foundation Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying.”

Development of the app started in 2018 and had input and support from a number of different child-focused charities and welfare groups. Partners include the Mental Health Foundation, the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the NSPCC, the Diana Award and Childnet.

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