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02nd Jun 2015

A clever new set of emoji could help young victims of abuse

Sive O'Brien

A Swedish charity has released a series of ‘abused emoji’ to help children and young people talk about situations where they felt bad or wrongly treated.

Featuring a range of emoticons complete with with bruises, cuts and self-harm wounds, the new app has been created to help young victims communicate their abuse without having to put it into words.

150526140100-abused-emoji-app-keyboard-780x439Swedish charity BRIS (Children’s Rights in Society) says, “Some things are hard to spell out. Abused Emojis will make it easier for kids to talk to others about negative feelings or about situations where they have been treated wrong.

“Many of the problems that kids face today are stigmatised and often they have no one to talk to but us. A complex reality demands a complex set of symbols. Abused Emojis is part of our work to let children talk more freely about their situation.”

Emoji is now the fastest growing language in the UK, according to a recent study. The findings revealed that 72 per cent of the younger generation (18-25) now find it easier to express their emotions with the symbols rather than words, with over half (51 per cent) believing that emoji have improved our ability to interact.

 

Topics:

abuse,technology