A school in Brookfield, Ohio is doing their part to fight bullying. The school had an assembly on February 28, 2018. The students were asked how many of them were active on at least two social networking sites. Almost every student raised their hand. Social media allows students to constantly stay connected to one another.
Principal Adam Lewis stated that being constantly exposed to social media puts teens at risk for bullying. Brookfield has created an app in order to deter bullying. The name of the app is Stopit. This app alows people to report bullying and other issues that are going on at their school. Lewis stated that if you see something at the school that does not seem right, then you will need to use the app to report it.
Todd Schoebel is a business consultant and the founder of the app. He stated that he was inspired to create the app after hearing the Amanda Todd story. Amanda Todd was a 15-year-old girl who sent a topless photo of herself to a man she met online. The photo was circulated on the internet. She committed suicide as the result of the relentless bullying.
Assistant Principal Kristan Foster discussed what bullying was and what students could do to report it. Kristan stated that any type of behavior that is directed towards another person that is threatening and repetitive is bullying. It does not matter whether the behavior occurs in person or online. The app was officially released on February 28, 2018. Both students and teachers can download the app on their phone.
The staff members hope that the app will prevent incidents like the one that occurred at Parkland High School on Valentine’s Day. In many cases, students are aware of attacks before they happen. The app has a messaging feature. Students who state that they are thinking about harming themselves will be directed to a counselor.
Even though the staff members think that the app will help deter bullying, many students have expressed concern. They think that the app will not help bullying. Akaia Otis is one of the students who does not believe the app would help. She stated that many bullying cases are reported and nothing is done. Akaia and her friend Taeyana were victims of racist bullying, and they stated that nothing was done.
However, Principal Lewis stated that many students are disciplined for bullying, but the cases are kept private.
