Mass. company develops software in wake of student’s suicide


A graduate of the same Western Massachusetts high school where Phoebe Prince’s death shined a national spotlight on the evils of schoolyard bullying has taken up the cause—and created powerful software to help victims report attacks and give officials the tools to track responses, reports the Boston Herald. “Our product was a direct result of the terrible tragedy that happened to Phoebe Prince,” said Edward Wall, a South Hadley High School grad and founder of Earshot Technologies. The start-up’s software, which costs about $2,200, provides a web-based tool for parents and students to anonymously report incidences of bullying. It also provides schools with a tracking and record-keeping system for responding to the reports. The product, called Behavior Systems, comes seven months after Prince, a 15-year-old freshman at South Hadley High School, committed suicide after months of bullying. Following her death, Massachusetts lawmakers enacted legislation that bans bullying at schools, on school buses, and through electronic devices. It also requires that schools devise plans for students, educators, and parents to report bullying by the end of this year. Wall’s company is providing the software to South Hadley school officials free of charge. Wall’s firm joins other software companies that offer similar products, including Awareity, a Nebraska-based firm, and Orchard Software, a Missouri company…

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