October 25, 2022
This article as originally featured here. 
Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) has launched an anonymous reporting platform powered by Stopit Solutions, a leading technology for improving student safety and mental wellness on school campuses. The new platform was announced to parents during a Parenting in the Digital World Workshop held at Santiago High School yesterday and all families received a district message with information about how to use the new platform.
October is National Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Month. STOPit will be a tool for GGUSD students and families to report bullying, cyberbullying, or any inappropriate or unsafe behaviors including discrimination, threats of violence, alcohol or drug use, and mental health struggles
“Our goal with STOPit is to empower students to play an active role in creating safe, kinder school communities both online and off,” said Board of Education President Bob Harden who attended the event at Santiago High School along with Board Vice President Lan Nguyen, Trustee Teri Rocco, Superintendent Dr. Gabriela Mafi and other district administrators. The event also featured a Mental Health Resource Fair and representatives from STOPit Solutions were on hand to speak with families about the platform.
Students or family members can make a tip via phone hotline, website or mobile app. STOPit’s incident response center monitors and reviews submissions and school administrators receive and act on the reported issues before they escalate. STOPit is 100% anonymous and allows users to submit photo or video evidence. It also provides students with direct app integration with Crisis Text Line which offers immediate access to trained and certified mental health counselors.
“We are partnering with STOPit solutions to make it as easy as possible for students to report issues that make them feel unsafe,” said Board of Education Vice President Lan Nguyen. “We know that coming forward to talk with a teacher or principal about bullying or other personal issues can be overwhelming for students. STOPit removes those roadblocks of fear and worry by allowing students to make a truly anonymous report from their phones.”
Over the last several years, GGUSD has increased its school-based mental health professionals, and increased initiatives around student wellness. Schools have focused efforts around creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students with many schools participating in the No Place for Hate program through a partnership with the Anti-Defamation League. All students in third through twelfth grade will watch a training video in class to learn about STOPit and the importance of being an upstander to issues like bullying.
“We want students to know we care and this is one more tool in our tool box to help any students who are struggling to ask for help,” said Trustee Teri Rocco.
