School bullying is something that has become a sad reality on junior and senior high school campuses for decades or longer. But in more recent years, much of that bullying has turned into physical violence and, in some drastic cases, school shootings, creating a need for greater school safety and security. It’s the latter of these events that garner national and even international attention due to the bodily damage and emotional harm they cause. But what can be done to combat these tragic instances in the 2020s?
One solution that’s being widely touted is apps. In a recent article with Florida’s Voice, Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch, stated that the organization has witnessed “an uptick” in school threats of violence this year over the last school year. Over the past several years, SaferWatch is said to have prevented 13 or more planned school shootings. How are they doing it?
The company uses an app specially engineered to offer students, teachers, parents, staff, and even visitors a direct line to communicate on a seamless, real-time basis with local law enforcement. More than 2,000 schools in the state are utilizing the SaferWatch app tech, drawing praise of Governor DeSantis, Roefaro adds.
With that in mind, what other means and apps are being used to mitigate school bullying and violence all around the country, creating a much safer and happier environment for America’s youth? According to a recent report by NBC News, bullying, student mental health, and the ever present threat of gun violence have become major concerns at schools throughout the U.S. over the last twenty years.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, which was said to be considerably damaging to students while forcing lots of schools to employ new technology to instruct them, more academic institutions turned to apps to alleviate the problems.
Says one electronics professional presently working with schools, many technology companies took advantage of presenting themselves as an app-based solution for the problems that were plaguing schools. This was said to be an expected development, since high-tech solutions often work to benefit their human users. It’s not surprising then that recently, thousands of school officials are encouraging both students and parents to download and use these safety conscious apps.
Apps Are Not New
The idea of using digital apps to address issues ranging from mental health crises to cyberbullying to seemingly random acts of extreme violence is not new. It’s because of this that corporate America is aggressively exploring the app pathway. However, within the tech departments at lots of U.S. schools, app tech is said to be taking off.
Experts attest that during the pandemic, too many students were struggling with life more than ever. It wasn’t just the trauma of the pandemic that became worrisome, but also the long periods of isolation from friends and peers, plus the deprivation of normal activities. But the overall pressure of school academics was still expected to be dealt with. This is why professionals took the opportunity to come to grips with the stressors and mental health strains that were becoming apparent when it came to young students.
New Safety App Companies Forming
New companies have been established that offer apps along with a variety of monitoring and safety features like anonymous threat reporting in real-time, silent communication, and alarms with mental health counselors and the police. It’s said that a variety of states have developed or are developing their own reporting systems with the same or similar safety features.
The many companies involved agree they are offering the schools and students practical tools that are meant to prevent a tragedy. For certain, the apps are becoming widespread, and they are proving effective. Much-needed government and state grants are being offered to fund these crucial programs, which is good news for students, parents, and school staff.
Said one app developer, it’s a tool that will allow students and their families to report anything suspicious and afford kids the help that they need when they need it. Developers are dedicated to giving kids a powerful yet simple and speedy way to reach out when they’re in distress which can come from an external threat, an internal threat to one’s own body, or a threat that exists in real-time on campus. It’s the latter which is said to be becoming more common in the 2020s.
It’s possible for one company alone to receive 300 to 500 reports from anxious students every single day or night. More than ten percent of those might constitute an imminent threat in which mental health professionals and/or police are immediately dispatched to the scene.
No matter how you look at it, app technology is making school campuses and their students safer than they have been in decades. And that’s a good thing.
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