To reduce student bullying and allow students to report sensitive incidents, the Midfield City School District has added a new communications tool called Anonymous Alerts®, allowing individuals to quickly, easily, and anonymously report urgent information that they may otherwise be uncomfortable reporting to school officials. The system encourages students to communicate honestly in a universe they are most comfortable with, their Internet connected devices and mobile apps. Anonymous Alerts® became active beginning Tuesday, September 3rd.
"Our top priority is student safety and providing our student community with another avenue to reach out about sensitive issues," said Demica Sanders, Superintendent of Schools. "The Anonymous Alerts service will help our students to discuss difficult issues without fear of reprisal by their peers. We can then decide if something is credible and what to do with the information or establish a 2-way dialogue with that student."
Anonymous Alerts allows school officials to meet where students are located online with familiar tools like private text message reporting from any Internet enabled device. Anonymous Alerts provides a secure 1-way or 2-way encrypted dialogue increasing the flow of timely information to school officials as problems arise. Message topics for submission may include student bullying, cyber-bullying, family difficulties, self-harm/cutting, drug and alcohol abuse, student depression, sexual harassment, gang related issues or unusual student behavior. When submitting a private message, students can also upload an image/photo directly from their computer, tablet or smartphone to provide visual details with their report. Students submitting a cyber-bullying report can also attach a picture or screen shot of the Social Media page/screen where the cyber-bullying occurred.
Anyone wishing to submit information anonymously can visit http://www.anonymousalerts.com/midfieldcitysd using an Internet-enabled device, or by going to the Midfield City School District's website and clicking on the Anonymous Alerts link. All reports remain anonymous, although submitters have the option to reveal their identity if they prefer to have a person-to-person discussion providing further details about an incident.
"We believe that Anonymous Alerts can help students submit reports in a safe and secure environment without fear of alienation by their peers," said Gregory Bender, President & CEO of K12 Alerts.
