New Data Raises Red Flags About K-12 Students’ Mental Health

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan 27, 2021–
A report released by student safety company Gaggle shows a dramatic increase in threats of suicide, self-harm, and violence among K-12 students.
“Young people are reeling from the turmoil around them and it’s having a tangible impact on their mental health,” said Jeff Patterson, Gaggle’s founder and CEO. “From the effects of the pandemic on students’ home lives to the broader national tension in politics and civil rights, kids are having a difficult time coping under immense stress. This rise in safety incidents at our schools is extremely troubling.”
The report, Ring the Alarm: Students in Crisis, confirms a 66% increase in student safety incidents in the first three months of the 2020–21 school year compared to the same time frame in 2019. A growing number of incidents (42%) occurred after school hours as students continue to use school-issued accounts and devices around the clock.
Key findings include:

  • An 83% increase in the volume of threats of suicide or self-harm (36,424 incidents in 2020 versus 19,956 in 2019);
  • Incidences of violence toward others increased by 63% (21,287 incidents in 2020 versus 13,024 in 2019);
  • A 59% increase in incidents relating to drugs and alcohol (4,806 incidents in 2020 versus 3,026 in 2019);
  • A 135% increase in nudity and sexual content involving minors (11,239 incidents in 2020 versus 4,773 in 2019); and
  • A notable increase in incidents occurring among elementary-age students (elementary students accounted for about 13% of incidents in 2020, compared to 4% in 2019).

The report data is pulled through Gaggle’s student safety solution, which analyzes the use of online tools within Google’s G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and the Canvas learning management system for more than 4.5 million U.S. students. During the months reflected in the report, the platform analyzed over 3 billion items within school accounts for harmful content.
Gaggle’s technology watches for specific content and communications that might indicate harmful behavior. When a match surfaces, the content is evaluated by a trained safety professional to determine whether it is a threat and how much of a threat it poses. They then alert school officials to signs of student self-harm, depression, thoughts of suicide, substance abuse, cyberbullying, credible threats of violence against others, or other harmful situations.
Learn more at www.gaggle.net and follow @Gaggle—K12 on Twitter.
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CONTACT: Alexandra Sollberger
[email protected]
202-317-0774
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH OTHER EDUCATION DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY PRIMARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION
SOURCE: Gaggle
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PUB: 01/27/2021 12:43 PM/DISC: 01/27/2021 12:43 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210127005781/en