![]() ![]() A recent study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab found that social media surveillance carried out by Chicago public school officials, in conjunction with targeted interventions, led to positive outcomes for Chicago public school students, including lower risk of exposure to out-of-school shooting incidents, fewer misconduct incidents, fewer out-of-school suspensions, and higher rates of school attendance. ![]() Theoretically, this helps school officials to make more informed decisions about potential threats to the safety of their students. The integration of multiple databases (eg, the FSSP ) provides school officials with a large amount of information about their students. Taken at face value, social media surveillance services may present an opportunity for schools to increase their awareness of students’ online activity, as well as better identify and prevent potential instances of harm that may otherwise go unreported. The FSSP, which is currently in use by all Florida public schools, aims to allow “school threat assessment teams to identify, assess and provide intervention services for individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to themselves or others” and “report suspicious activities to the proper authorities within the school district”. ![]() Most recently, the state of Florida contracted a private technology firm called FivePoint Solutions to monitor and analyze the Florida Schools Safety Portal (FSSP), which consolidates data from Florida’s Department of Education, Department of Children and Families, Department of Law Enforcement, Department of Juvenile Justice, and local law enforcement, as well as students’ posts from social media websites. Schools and school districts are not alone in their attempts to monitor students’ social media activity. More thoughtful debate and study are needed to bring about greater public and scholarly attention to the use of these technologies and to better understand the potential implications of their use in schools. This lack of awareness means that there has also been little to no consideration of the consequences of implementing these social media surveillance technologies. Despite the increased implementation of social media surveillance in schools, the public is generally unaware that these services are so widely utilized. Although innovative solutions for addressing students’ safety and health are needed, it is unclear whether the implementation of social media surveillance in schools is an effective strategy. Since then, thousands of schools and school districts have hired companies to provide social media surveillance services. The first and most widely covered case of social media surveillance took place in the Glendale School District in California, where the suicide of a student in 2013 prompted the district to contract an external company to monitor and analyze students’ social media accounts. Companies that provide social media surveillance services purportedly have the ability to identify and report any public social media posts made by students that fall under predetermined categories of concern. Since social media websites have become a primary medium for students to express their thoughts, views, and feelings, social media has also been increasingly seen as a potential site for intervention and prevention of these public health threats.Ĭoncern about the safety and security of schools and students has led to an increasing number of US schools and school districts hiring private companies to monitor students’ social media activity. Furthermore, emerging data indicate worrisome trends related to online bullying and adverse mental health outcomes, including increased rates of adolescent suicide. The number of shooting incidents in K-12 schools, for instance, has increased since 1970, with a record 97 shooting incidents in 2018 alone. Over the last two decades, schools have faced several concerning trends related to student safety and well-being, including acts of violence, cyberbullying, and adolescent suicidality.
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