We created reword, a real time spell checker for online bullying. As a child types, reword uses regex matching, searching a database of bullying words to identify patterns. When a pattern is recognised from millions of potential combinations, the child is alerted with a red strike-through.

Reword is designed to interrupt bullying behaviour in young people when they first become active on social media. The red line is an intuitive symbol that encourages children to reconsider what they write.

Children can become co-authors of reword by adding their own bullying words and phrases, growing the tool’s intelligence and helping it recognize evolving language and slang.

Reword helps develop young people’s moral compass, creating a new generation that respects each other – online and in real life.

We built a Javascript tool and lexicon database that identifies patterns using syntax theory. As a child types, the database is traversed and insult patterns are identified – activating the red line and alerting the user. Reword seamlessly integrates across all social, email and messaging platforms, without needing the provider’s permission.

After successfully piloting in two schools, we launched our in-school program and made reword available online as a free Google Chrome extension. We supported the launch with an integrated media strategy across outdoor, print, TV, display, social media and extensive PR. Via the in-school program and social, children were invited to co-author the insult database.

Reword has been installed on 150,000 computers and introduced to over 260 schools across Australia. Headspace is committed to implementing reword in all Australian schools – while parents now have something they can install at home, stopping their children from becoming bullies.

Reword has clear universal relevance, with global coverage on CNN, Good Morning America, Wired and Mashable, as well as personal messages from around the world. Since launch, reword delivered a 67% reduction in bullying behaviour per user. Our call to action resonated, generating over 20,000 insult submissions from young people, creating millions of new combinations.

By promoting co-creation of the tool, Reword is changing online bullying behaviour, creating a new generation that respects each other – online and in real life.

In the first 6 weeks:

• 150,000 installs

• Introduced to over 260 schools

• 84% of insults reworded

• 67% reduction in bullying behaviour per user

• Over 20,000 insults added

• 150 million media impressions

Cyber bullying is quickly becoming one of society’s most serious problems, creating millions of victims around the world.

Reword is a tool activating change within the culture of online bullying by stopping the behaviour before it happens. Acting as a real time spell checker, reword identifies hurtful words, prompting young people to reword their message or post. Through social and an in-school program, young people directly interacted with the tool. They could even submit new bullying terms. This gave them ownership over reword, encouraging them to promote it among their friends.

Young people’s moral compass doesn’t fully develop until adulthood. Working with leading mental health experts, we created a way to stop the abuse before it happens. Reword is an educational tool that works everywhere we communicate online. It’s designed to help develop young people’s moral compass when they become social media active. Reword’s aim is not only to protect potential victims, but also to protect children from becoming bullies themselves.

During prototype development, we collaborated with Headspace Youth Mental Health Foundation and youth to refine usability and messaging. Testing showed 79% of young people were willing to reword when prompted.

We targeted “protectors”– parents and educators – who could install the software at home and in schools. We targeted young people separately, encouraging uptake and acceptance by designing the tool so they can add to and grow it, giving them ownership and empowering them to take a stand against online bullying.

Technology has made online bullying nearly impossible to escape. Bullying has moved from schoolyards to social media, but kids don’t think about the effect their words can really have. Approximately 463,000 young people are bullied online in Australia each year, and victims of online abuse are up to nine times more likely to engage in self-harm and suicidal ideation. 78% of youth bullied online are 10-15 years old.

To try to stop bullying, the focus has always been on reporting it after it’s happened. But, there’s been nothing to protect children from bullying happening in the first place, as leading social media platforms have failed to create effective measures to combat online bullying behaviour.

We set out to find an innovative way to effect real change in the online environment – tackling online bullying behaviour before it happens.