'Talk about it' unveiled at Lakeview Academy

GAINESVILLE - During its Monday morning Lakeview Academy implemented 'Talk About It', a program that gives students a mechanism to reach out to adults and report problems anonymously such as bullying and potential school violence.

Head of School John Kennedy said it also gives administrators the ability to access the school's climate in order to implement preventative programs.

"This is a national program, the best schools are using this and it reduces bullying by 50 percent so we thought, why not," Kennedy said. "This is just a way students can feel they can talk to somebody and if they want to do it anonymously they can and if they let us know they can."

With 'Talk About It', when an administrator receives a message, he or she may respond to the student to find out more, or discuss the problem. The entire thread of conversation is conducted confidentially unless the student wishes to disclose his or her name.

Kennedy said the program allows students to initiate contact in a comfortable and safe manner that would hopefully lead to face-to-face counseling. If a student sends a message communicating a threat to their own life, the life of another or the school itself, the faculty recipient would request and receive the student's identity in order to avoid a potential tragedy.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/10/233298