The Lightspeed Systems Relay web filtering solution includes a new feature, Safety Check, that delivers real-time alerts on student activity that is indicative of self-harm or other dangers. A recent survey of customers with early access to Safety Check reveals more than 80% have identified at-risk students through the feature. Early access users identified suicidal students as well as those suffering from abuse, depression, and other concerns.
Safety Check uses advanced AI to identify and alert upon students whose web activity indicates they are at risk of suicide, self-harm or other dangers. When such behavior is detected, an alert including details of the activity and a contextual screenshot are sent to the school's designated contacts so they can quickly intervene. The feature complements the Relay Filter's robust features and reports to protect students not just from inappropriate online content but also from risky offline behavior.
Safety Check provides a comprehensive student safety monitoring platform that surpasses other solutions in the breadth of its monitoring and technology. Safety Check:
- Works across sites, including online mail, Google docs, social media, search, and more
- Monitors all types of activity, from typed words to web visits
- Provides dashboards, safety trends reports, and user reports as well as real-time alerts
- Ensures student data privacy by sharing data only with designated school personnel
- Allows schools to designate authorized recipients, from safety officers to counselors to principals, by group
- Provides support for multiple operating systems
- Is included at no cost with the Relay Filter or available as a standalone solution
Christina Gremillion, Supervisor of Instructional Technology at Caddo Parish Schools (LA), was part of the early access group and among the 80% who identified at-risk students with the feature. Of Safety Check she says, "I wouldn't dare start a school year without it! It has literally saved lives in our district. We have discovered situations that students were going through with the use of this platform; and have been able to provide interventions to keep students safe, healthy, and happy."
For schools increasingly concerned about violence and self-harm, Relay adds another critical layer to their safety and security programs. "Safety Check has been an integral part of our digital learning environment. It allows us to provide the assistance and interventions needed," says Billy Ruhlen, IT Technician at Marysville Exempted Village School District (OH), another member of the early access group. Safety Check helps schools prevent tragedies: "Safety Check can help us shape tomorrow's headlines by keeping children safe," says Melinda Setchell, Director of Educational Technology at Saint Joseph Catholic School (GA).
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people aged 10-24; that's a statistic Lightspeed Systems wants to help change. "Ensuring every student is safe and successful is the Lightspeed Systems mission. That's what drives us," shares Brian Thomas, President & CEO at Lightspeed Systems. "We’re excited to be able to bring this innovative new technology to schools to further that mission. We know Safety Check will help save lives."
The Relay platform is a complete solution to filter, manage, monitor, protect, and analyze online activity in schools. Safety Check is included at no additional cost with the Relay Filter. It is currently available to select schools as an early access release and will be released to all Relay Filter customers in July 2019.
About Lightspeed Systems
Lightspeed Systems partners with schools to make learning safe, mobile and easily managed. Partnered with 6,500 districts in the United States and 28,000 schools around the world, Lightspeed Systems offers integrated filtering, management, monitoring, and protection for schools through its groundbreaking platform, Relay. Headquartered in Austin, TX (with offices in Portland and the U.K.), Lightspeed serves over 15 million students in 35 countries. To learn more, visit https://www.lightspeedsystems.com.