Bullying:
The Human Analyst Value
Our analyst found a post from a High School campus using the word, “sad.” Upon review by an analyst, the student’s public page contained other relevant posts to justify a report to the school. Other posts made from the school bus: “First day and the bullying is starting again”; “Almost punched a girl in the face; I want to do independent studies.” School staff was able to step in and provide help to this girl when she needed it.
Violence:
Response and Intervention
We found posts from a male student organizing a fight off campus via a social network. In addition to posts provoking physical violence, we also discovered photos of the student posing with guns. Our report resulted in school administrators intervening. The fight was averted, and the student privatized his page after realizing that publicly posting content came with responsibility.
Suicide:
Identification and Intervention
We initially reported that a teenager had posted about harming herself. After the girl posted end of life messages, we contacted her school again. Their successful intervention resulted with the girl no longer posting about suicide and removing the morose messages from her profile. With her newly discovered self-esteem, she attended her junior prom in May 2013.
Drugs:
Awareness and Detection
We discovered posts of large amounts of marijuana being prepared for sale by individuals who frequented the nearby school grounds. Our analysts discovered posts depicting license plates as well as the utilization of narcotics. We reported this information to district administrators who provided it to their local law enforcement agency enabling a positive identification of the suspects.
Truancy:
Discovery and Response
We continuously find posts between expelled students and those in school planning to skip class and meet up. We have also reported posts by a student who bragged about “beating the system” because she had successfully gotten out of school just after 11AM on 60 different occasions by faking an illness. One student even posted her truancy slips and attendance record online, accompanied by a threat to a counselor for mailing home a notification to her parents.
Alcohol:
Identification and Intervention
With binge drinking on the rise, we provide a reality check on the effectiveness of passive school-based alcohol awareness programs. While the alcohol may never be seen on campus, its lasting impact and abuse is pervasive among teens on social networks. The reports we provide include posts involving the consumption or promotion of alcohol. With this information, administrators are better able to identify students who may be at risk and intervene appropriately.