A PARENT has called for change after an app that rates the appearance of a person has began circulating schools in Warrington and has become the source of bullying among pupils.

The controversial AI app, LooksRater, is marketed as something that will ‘empower your self-confidence’ and allows the user to upload a picture of themselves which the app will then provide ratings on their appearance.

However, the empowerment the material promises has provided the opposite affect for pupils in schools within Warrington according to one parent.

The parent, who lives on Dixon Street in town centre and wishes to remain anonymous, described the horrendous bullying her child received at the hands of the looks rating app.

And she is calling for parents to teach their children about ‘healthy self-image’ despite this ‘awful’ software.

Speaking on when she first heard about LooksRater, she told the Warrington Guardian: “I first heard about it from my 13-year-old daughter.

“She told me the boys in her class uploaded pictures of her onto it without her consent and she got rated a poor score.

“She was distraught. This sort of harassment and bullying is bound to happen with a website this conceited and cruel.”

The parent, whose child is currently in year eight at school, added that from speaking to other parents this ‘is an issue affecting almost every school’ and is ‘only set to get worse’.

“Kids already had to deal with self-image issues because of websites like Instagram and TikTok, but this is one hundred times worse,” she added.

“My message to parents would be to have a talk with your kids about this. They're going to hear about it and likely when you're not around they're going to use it out of curiosity.

“Even if you block it on their devices, they'll use a friends. So, it's more important you teach them to have a healthy self-image in spite of these awful websites, not try to completely shelter them from them no matter how bad you might want to.”

The concerned parent also made a reference to the creators of not only LooksRater but other similar AI powered apps to take partial responsibility and set age restrictions on the age of the user accessing the software.

“My message to the creators of the website would be to please age restrict it.

“Plenty of other sites do. The damage you're doing to young children's self-esteem is incalculable. Just imagine it was your kids or your younger siblings, would you want them using your site?”

Addressing the issue of AI apps circulating schools in the region, Peter Middleman, north west regional secretary of the National Education Union said: “We will continue to work with members, school leaders and the Local Authority to ensure that school and colleges across Warrington remain safe and happy places in which young people can learn, interpret the world around them and change it for the better.

“While sexism, gender inequality, bullying and online abuse remain problems afflicting society in general, this will sadly always be reflected in public institutions.

“NEU members debated the topic at our conference in Bournemouth earlier this month and agreed a set of actions to counter the impacts including through the use of our existing union resources such as ‘It’s Not OK’ and ‘It’s Just Everywhere’.

“Teachers and School Support staff understand that we have a duty and an opportunity to bring about a historic shift: to stop schools being places where girls and boys learn that sexual harassment and sexism are routine, normal or accepted.

“However, Government needs to accept their responsibility to ensure that funding levels provide for the necessary staffing resources and pastoral support to make that a reality.”

LooksRater and Warrington Borough Council was contacted for comment.