School bullying remains one of the most widespread yet least visible challenges affecting young people around the world. While many children experience bullying, far fewer speak openly about it, often leaving parents and caregivers unaware that anything is wrong.
In South Africa, 70% of South African Grade 9 learners experience bullying at least monthly, while 22% report being bullied weekly. The same research also found a clear relationship between bullying and lower academic achievement, highlighting the lasting impact it can have on young people’s wellbeing and development.
Against this backdrop, global mobility and urban services platform inDrive recently launched an anti-bullying initiative in Kazakhstan centred around the journey to school, a surprisingly ordinary moment that can create space for meaningful conversations between parents and children.
While the initiative was first introduced in Kazakhstan, it forms part of a broader conversation around how similar approaches could potentially be adapted and scaled across other markets where inDrive operates globally.
The initiative, called “Cancel the School Ride“, was aimed at young users taking morning rides to school. As part of the campaign, they received a push notification asking whether they wanted to cancel the trip after the journey had already begun.
“While the message appeared to be an app error, it was in fact a deliberate prompt intended to interrupt routine thinking and encourage parents to reflect on the simple but important question of, is my child actually okay?” says inDrive. “The journey to school is one of the few occasions when parents and children are often together without screens, distractions or competing demands for attention. Even a few minutes of genuine conversation can help a child feel heard and supported.
Rather than encouraging children to miss school, the campaign was designed to highlight how easily signs of bullying can be overlooked and how everyday conversations can help uncover problems children may be reluctant to discuss.
“We need to talk to children more often. Not just ask ‘How are you?’, but genuinely notice their emotional state and changes in behaviour. Sometimes even a short conversation can help identify a problem a child may be afraid to talk about,” says Ashif Black , country representative for inDrive South Africa.
To extend the campaign beyond the app, inDrive developed an online resource hub in collaboration with child psychologists to provide practical guidance on recognising signs of bullying, starting difficult conversations and supporting children through challenging experiences.
The project reflects inDrive’s broader commitment to fairness, equality and creating positive social impact in the communities where it operates. It also highlights that tackling bullying often starts not with major interventions, but with paying attention to the small moments that matter.
“As we continue to explore ways to create positive social impact in the communities we serve, we are continuously in discussion and welcome opportunities to assess how similar initiatives could be adapted for other regions in future. South Africa is among the priority markets being considered for such expansion, given the significant impact bullying continues to have on young people locally,” concludes Black.