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Lipscomb University has launched a new anonymous reporting and prevention platform called TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services), allowing students, faculty, staff and others from the campus community to confidentially report potentially harmful incidents or concerning behaviors. A private, Christian college in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University, is dedicated to providing a safe and secure learning environment and protecting all students, faculty, staff and guests on campus. TIPS is an award‐winning suite of web‐based tools developed by the privately held organization Awareity, empowering individuals to anonymously report suspicious activities involving assault, weapons, illegal drug/alcohol use, harassment or intimidation, hazing, vandalism, threats of violence, suicideRead More →

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As tragic stories of bullying, suicide and violence continue to spread through school systems and communities, Ankeny Community School District is focusing on solutions. Ankeny Community Schools will be the first Iowa school district to implement Awareity’s proven and multi‐award‐winning TIPS (Threat assessment, Incident management & Prevention Services) prevention platform to help broaden communication channels, raise awareness and improve student safety. TIPS is an innovative solution equipping students, teachers, staff, parents and community members to anonymously report concerning behaviors, bullying, cyber bullying, and suicide risks. How can a school prevent something if they don’t know about it? Evidence clearly reveals school officials need students, parents,Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  Have we reached a tipping point…the point at which a series of incidents becomes significant and obvious enough to cause a larger, more important change? Is this a national teachable moment…the time at which learning about a particular topic becomes obvious and easiest? Call it what you want, but obviously now is the time for action to change the future for the better. So how do you and I change the future for the better? Lots and lots and lots of people SAY they want to change the future and many more will SAY they are a leader of positive change…however after years ofRead More →

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The Bradley County Schools system has implemented a new program to help keep children safe. TIPS: Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services, an award‐winning web‐based risk management and incident reporting platform from Awareity. The TIPS platform is successfully being used in multiple school districts across the United States to identify, prevent and effectively intervene in threatening behaviors. TIPS provides an avenue for all students, parents, faculty, staff and community members to safely report disconcerting behaviors, suspicious incidents, or general safety/security concerns to school staff and the school resource officer, or SRO. Reporting may be made anonymously or openly. Concerns which may be reported include,Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Incident Reporting, Risk Management, School Safety

  Last month, A 17-year-old Texas student committed suicide in a high school courtyard.  The student posted two Facebook updates that morning–one saying he was planning on committing suicide, and another with him pointing a gun at his head. In his message, he said, “I don’t know if this is going to affect people or if ya’ll are even going to care but I just want to say I’m taking my life away…” A quote from another student after the shooting  – “He said he was going through a lot of stuff. He put pictures up before he did it. Nobody believed him until heRead More →

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Data breaches, personally identifiable information exposed, phishing, passwords hacked, credit card numbers stolen – incidents that happen all too often in today’s word. Virginia’s Board of Accountancy, however, is taking security awareness training to a new level to help ensure their employees know how to protect information and reduce human error. In May, the Board of Accountancy (BOA), implemented a comprehensive web‐based platform from Awareity called MOAT (Managed Ongoing Awareness and Trust). Available on a Virginia State Contract, Awareity’s award‐winning MOAT services help organizations manage escalating costs and obligations associated with information security awareness, privacy, compliance, risk management, public safety/security, internal controls, incident reporting andRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, School Safety, Uncategorized

  A child or parent reports bullying during the parent-teacher conference.  Then what?  What constitutes bullying?  What should a teacher do with this report?  Who does the information get shared with?  What type of investigation needs to be done?  Do you talk with the bully and victim together or separately or both?  Should you call in the other parents?   How much information can you give them?  What are the consequences for bullying? Is the situation getting better?  How do you know?  Has it gotten worse?  Are you monitoring behaviors ongoing?  Maybe the bullying stopped in your classroom, but do you know if it is goingRead More →

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New Hampton School, a selective boarding school located in the in the foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, has implemented Awareity’s TIPS platform to improve faculty and staff support and communications. Founded in 1821, New Hampton School has a philosophy based on two values: respect and responsibility. Healthy relationships between students and adults and educating the whole student are paramount in the community. In order to build those positive adult relationships, one of the School’s major initiatives has recently been to become one of the most desirable independent schools to work for. Through careful consideration of employee work load, targeted allocation of financial and non‐financialRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, School Safety, Uncategorized

  If you or your child is being bullied by classmates, you have probably reported the bullying to someone at the school.  But, then what?   How was the issue addressed by the school?  Did they talk to the bully or punish the bully?  Did the situation get better?  Did the situation get worse? Regardless of how serious or small the issue is or feels, one of the most important steps for students and parents to remember when reporting a situation is DOCUMENTATION! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. If you are meeting with a teacher or principal, come prepared with proof and examples of when and where the bullyingRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, School Safety

  Headlines from the first month of school are troubling with stabbings, suicides, murder, bullying, cyberbullying and numerous other incidents. Even more troubling is that most of the incidents look like they were PREVENTABLE had the schools had the right tools to get the right information (concerning behaviors, threats, escalations, etc.) to the right people in the right places at the right time so the right people could do the right things…right away. For example, the following messages were released on social media days/weeks BEFORE this student committed suicide on the first day of school: “I have chosen to go with 3 peoples advice andRead More →