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New online K-12 anti-bullying solution focuses on reporting, data

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Bridg-it School streamlines how schools report, review and resolve bullying and harmful situations for more positive outcomes and safer school communities

Bridg-it [1] has launched Bridg-it School, an online school safety solution that addresses the lifecycle of an incident, from reporting through resolution. In addition, Bridg-it School addresses harmful situations by providing access to a Resource Center of curated content with restorative techniques that foster positive outcomes.

Available via computer, tablet or smartphone, Bridg-it School allows students, teachers, parents and administrators to securely file a confidential report in less than one minute, from anywhere at anytime. The solution immediately alerts the appropriate stakeholders when a report is filed, and also gives educators access to aggregated data about a school’s behavioral climate and trends in real time. In addition, Bridg-it School allows for compliance with state-mandated reporting, saving significant administrative time.

Bridg-it School has been piloted over the past year at schools in the New York City area, proving to be a valuable asset in addressing cyberbullying and negative behavior.

Next page: How the solution helps users track from reporting through resolution

“The proliferation of smartphones and the use of social media has dramatically changed the face of bullying and how we need to address it,” said Dominick D’Angelo, Principal of I.S. 228 David A. Boody Junior High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Bridg-it School is enabling us to handle harmful situations quickly and efficiently with a streamlined process. As a result, our students are more empowered and feel that they are being heard. Teachers feel confident that there is an easy-to-use and compliant process for addressing harmful behaviors in an effective manner.”

Reporting and tracking incidents is just the first step in addressing bullying. Bridg-it School goes beyond reporting to tackle bullying and harassment through its Resource Center. This digital library contains more than 150 pieces of expert-curated content that can positively impact student behavior. Upon sign-in, Bridg-it School recognizes each user and presents relevant resources for that individual. The result is better information and guidance that supports more positive outcomes.

“In a national sample of 3rd-8th graders, about 17 percent of students say they bully other kids on a regular basis,” said Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D. Professor, Child Development Division; Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a renowned expert on bullying prevention. “Programs that are grounded in research with high-quality implementation support, such as Bridg-it School, will help create healthier learning environments for students and deliver a long-term impact for positive change.”

Bridg-it School has a unique set of features and functionality that arms students, parents, faculty and administrators with the tools needed to build constructive learning communities, including:

“Reporting is just the first step in addressing harmful situations. With our approach, schools can ensure that all incidents are addressed appropriately and that everyone – from the student to the parent to the school faculty and administration – feels confident that there is a process that is secure, compliant and supportive,” said Jeff Ervine, Founder and President of Bridg-it. “Bridg-it School was designed to serve as a catalyst for the social, emotional and cultural changes that today’s schools need to address with new online communication modes. By addressing bullying in a more holistic fashion, we can help schools and communities make measurable progress towards building safer, more positive learning environments.”

Material from a press release was used in this report.