I have heard three teenagers (and two Moms), since school started, tell me about a "crazy kid" at their school who is Unsafe. A kid who has made general threats to harm other people at their school, either in passing conversation or over social media. After we explore the issue and I see there is no direct action we can take, I have insisted that my teens report the kid to law enforcement or their school. I was thrilled to find that they can do this, anonymously if they need to, through the FortifyFl app.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy is still close to the hearts of South Florida. The Florida legislature has provided funding to help us identify, and help, students who are Unsafe through funding for increased mental health counseling. The Palm Beach County School District has started several initiatives to make help real, and available, to students. Still, our kids are usually the first to know about these Unsafe kids and they are in the ideal position to report Unsafe kids before another tragedy occurs. Law enforcement officers in Volusia County, Florida were able to act on this kind of information and may be the first step to getting this 15-year-old help.
If your kid uses a phone, I strongly recommend this app. If you're a parent of a kid who goes to school, I strongly recommend this app. Taking the time to report your concerns may simply be a waste of time, or you could provide the kind of information that law enforcement and school personnel need in order to act fast and prevent another tragedy.