Lightspeed Systems’ goal is to provide schools with smart, advanced tools to help keep students protected from harm. Technology plays a critical role in advancing learning. Sadly, exposure to the internet (and social media, specifically) is linked to an increased risk of depression and other mental health issues. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

It’s essential for K-12 employees and parents to be informed of these trends. In honor of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, we’re raising awareness to help schools better identify high-risk student behavior online.

Here are just a few ways the Lightspeed Solutions Suite makes it easier to identify mental health concerns and risky behavior — like bullying, self-harm, and suicide threats.

1. Safety Check (now Lightspeed Alert)

Lightspeed Alert is a new feature in Lightspeed Filter (formerly Relay)  to surface high-risk student activity online. Using Safety Check’s powerful AI alerts, IT can review specific students’ behavior, then escalate if necessary.

Read more about this smart new feature to help keep your students safe.

2. Flagged Alerts

Relay’s Flagged Terms feature is a core element of pinpointing suspicious student behavior. IT can set custom Flagged Terms and phrases with corresponding danger levels, and receive immediate, daily, and weekly email alerts.

Robert Williams, director of technology at Nye School District, recently began leveraging Relay for his district. “Within the first week, [Relay] identified two students in one of the schools that were researching a suicide hotline,” he said. (You can read more about Robert’s experiences with Relay in this case study.)

With Relay, schools can set Flagged Terms based on user input, not just page scanning. This adds helpful context to any Flagged Term alerts, helping IT more easily assess students in immediate danger.

Speaking of reporting, we recently updated Relay’s User Overview report to help surface key data on student device activity, including flagged content; top sites, searches, and content categories; and more.

Learn more about User Overview here.

3. Classroom Insights

During class time, teachers are engaging directly with their students, but they also need to know what students are doing on their devices.

With Classroom Management, we liberate teachers from their desks and the time-consuming nature of monitoring student screens, revealing key insights on student browsing activity via automated alerts. Who’s on task, who’s distracted, and who needs help? With Classroom, teachers will know all the answers.

With key insights, real-time alerts, and shareable reports, Relay makes it easier than ever to help students in trouble.