January 15, 2025
The story of STOPit Solutions begins not with a business plan, but with a story of human suffering that would move our founder deeply. On October 10th, 2012, Todd Schobel encountered something that would forever change his understanding of digital safety and human connection. Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old teenager, had shared her devastating journey of cyberbullying through a YouTube video. Her video served as a cry for help that tragically ended with her taking her own life. Amanda’s passing was more than just another statistic; it was a haunting reminder of the invisible battles fought by countless young people in our society today.
This tragic situation struck a powerful chord for Todd. “I believed the key to helping people like Amanda was to empower them to use the same technology that was inflicting hurt to ask for help,” he described. It was then that the idea for STOPit was conceived.
From Heartbreak to Hope: The Birth of a Mission
That moment of reflection became the seed of STOPit Solutions. More than a technology company, it was our determined response to a systemic problem of widespread isolation, bullying, and unaddressed mental wellness challenges.
The initial concept was really quite simple: transform smartphones—often seen as conduits of harassment—into lifelines of protection and support. Then, what initially began as a digital safety advocacy platform later began to evolve into a more comprehensive mission-driven technology provider, dedicated to safeguarding individuals' complete physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Building a Platform of Empowerment
In 2014, the original STOPit app launched, immediately resonating with many schools across the state of New Jersey as they sought innovative ways to address student safety. The platform's core innovation was remarkably straightforward yet profoundly impactful: it empowered students, staff, and parents to report bullying, threats, and harmful behaviors confidentially.
This wasn't just a technological solution at the time. It was a cultural intervention. For years, a pervasive "code of silence" had allowed harmful behaviors to fester in school environments. STOPit broke through this barrier, providing a more secure, stigma-free channel for communication.
Expanding the Vision: Beyond Bullying
As the platform grew, so did our company’s understanding of complex social challenges. From 2016 to 2018, STOPit integrated into thousands of K-12 schools, corporations, and community organizations. The mission expanded beyond combating bullying to address broader issues of threat assessment, crisis intervention, violence prevention, and mental health awareness. By 2020, we were already partnering with over 6,000 schools nationwide.
Key partnerships with insurers demonstrated that this wasn't just a moral imperative—it was a holistic approach to creating healthier, more productive environments. The later launch of STOPit Notify, in September of 2023, enabled real-time alerts. This then began allowing administrators and staff to respond immediately to emerging crises.
The Pandemic's Stark Revelation: Mental Wellness Matters
The global COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the escalating mental health crisis among students and staff. As isolation intensified and traditional support systems became disrupted, STOPit recognized the urgent need for comprehensive mental wellness resources.
Around this time, we developed HELPme – a groundbreaking platform which provided:
- 24/7 access to crisis counselors
- Confidential reporting mechanisms
- Preloaded resources addressing basic needs like food, shelter, and access to professional care providers
This wasn't just a product launch; it was a profound acknowledgment that effective security systems must address the whole human experience – including emotional resilience and communication skills.
We’re Collecting Stories of Transformation
Today, STOPit serves over 8,000 school communities, protecting millions of students, employees, and families. But beyond numbers, the real impact lies in the unfolding stories of hope and healing.
In Red Oak, Texas, an anti-bullying campaign transformed a school system’s culture, cultivating more widespread kindness and accountability together throughout the district. Johnson City Schools in Tennessee used the platform to create a secure environment where students could reach out for help without fear of judgment. Sand Springs, Oklahoma credited STOPit with a proactive approach that addressed their potential threats of violence and harm. Time and time again, individuals and institutions took advantage of our resources and saw the results they brought.
Each and every story that was passed along to us over the years represented yet another life touched, a potential crisis averted, and a community that was made safer.
A Culture of Compassionate Innovation
STOPit Solutions has always championed a simple yet powerful belief: prevention is key. Our tools are more than technology. They are compassionate interventions designed to:
- Empower students to become upstanders, rather than passive bystanders
- Provide administrators with insights for data-driven decisions
- Create a secure environment where asking for help is normalized and supported
Features like STOPit ARS (Anonymous Reporting System), STOPit Notify, and HELPme represent a unified framework for building well-connected, supportive communities.
Looking Forward: A Continued Commitment to Care
As STOPit Solutions looks to the rest of 2025 and beyond, our commitment remains unwavering. We aim to stand at the forefront of safety innovations and wellness advocacy. Whether through advanced AI for early-warning signals or expanding into new regions, one purpose drives us — ensuring that no cry for help goes unheard.
The journey that began with Amanda Todd's story continues, transforming heart-wrenching moments of individual crisis and pain into collective healing… one connection at a time.
An Invitation to Change
If you seek a partner in innovation who understands the delicate intersection of technology, security concerns, and empathetic care, let's discuss how we might partner. Together, we can get off the sidelines and create lasting, positive change in our interconnected, digitalized world.
Technology, when guided by compassionate communities, can indeed make the world better. And at STOPit Solutions, that's not just a mission statement. It's our daily resolution, practiced and upheld now for over a decade.
