3 Key Takeaways:
- Multiple Pathways Are Essential for Student Reporting: As more schools implement cell phone-free policies, there’s a significant shift away from mobile app reporting. To ensure every student still has a voice, platforms like Stop It must offer web, Chromebook, and iPad options—making sure no one is silenced by a phone policy and equity remains at the center of school safety.
- Changing Trends: More Urgent Cases, Greater Need for Crisis Support: While overall reporting engagement dropped from 87% to 56%, the reports that are coming in are more urgent. Life-threatening and imminent threat reports increased by 15%, and crisis support engagement skyrocketed by 450%. This shows students are facing more serious challenges and need accessible ways to get help during the school day.
- Anonymous Reporting Is a Game-Changer: A striking 80% of students wouldn’t have reported their concerns without an anonymous program, and 74% of those who do harm (to themselves or others) confide in a friend first. Providing safe, anonymous tools is critical to catching issues early and empowering students to look out for themselves and each other.
Good afternoon, Lightspeed community! I’m Kevin Askew, VP of Sales here at Lightspeed Systems, and I’m excited to welcome you to another episode of Lightning Chat. Today, I was joined by the insightful Erika Johnson, Strategic Account Manager and a veteran building leader with 25 years of experience in Wisconsin schools. Together, we tackled a topic that’s rapidly reshaping the landscape of school safety: how student reporting is evolving as cell phone-free education takes hold.
Cell Phone-Free Schools: A Cultural Shift
Over the past two years, our data tells a clear story: 75% of student reports through our platform are submitted during the school day (between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m). This shows that when students are present in a safe, structured environment, they’re more willing to share concerns. But as more districts embrace cell phone-free policies, we’re seeing a significant shift in how students report. The reliance on mobile apps is dropping, and it’s never been more important to provide alternative pathways for students to reach out.
Meeting Students Where They Are
At Lightspeed, we’re not standing still. We’ve expanded the Lightspeed StopIt™ platform to offer multiple reporting options beyond the mobile app: web interfaces, Chromebook and iPad apps, and more. Erika drove home a crucial point: as cell phone policies change, equity and accessibility must stay at the forefront. Every student deserves a voice, regardless of their device or social circumstances. In fact, our one-to-one device options are making sure that no one is silenced by policy changes.
The Data Behind the Shift
Let’s look at the numbers from our StopIt data. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a 20% shift away from mobile app reporting to other methods. In states that were early adopters of cell phone-free education, the drop is even more dramatic: mobile app usage fell from 51% in the 2022-23 school year to 36% in 2024-25.
But it’s not just how students are reporting, it’s what they’re reporting. Engagement with reporting as a percentage of overall program use dropped from 87% to 56%. Meanwhile, crisis support engagement soared by 450% (from 8% to 37%), and self-help resource engagement continues to rise. To me, that says kids want help, want to report, and want resources—they just need the right tools to do it their way.
Emergent Needs and the Power of Anonymous Reporting
Here’s a stat that stopped me in my tracks: even though overall reporting engagement dropped, we saw a 15% increase in life-threatening and imminent threat reports. The issues students are sharing are more urgent than ever—a clear indicator that the challenges they face are growing.
Erika reminded us that these numbers aren’t abstract; they’re the heartbeat of what students are telling us. School safety isn’t built in the midst of a crisis. It’s built on everyday trust and on making sure every student knows their voice matters. Anonymous reporting tools like StopIt close that gap, turning silent struggles into opportunities for meaningful intervention.
Why Multiple Pathways Matter
It all comes back to this: student needs are evolving, and so must our solutions. Policy changes like cell phone bans are changing how students communicate, but by offering device-friendly access and robust support resources, we’re meeting students on their terms and empowering them to speak up when it matters most.
Before we wrapped up, I shared one last data point that drives it all home: 80% of students who report through an anonymous program say they wouldn’t have done so without that anonymity. And 74% of those who do harm, whether to themselves or others, tell a friend before acting. That’s why providing a safe, anonymous way for students to come forward is vital; not just for their own well-being, but for the safety of the whole school community.
Final Thoughts
As Erika said so well, the gap between knowing and acting can be dangerous. If we don’t hear students’ stories until a crisis erupts, we’ve missed the chance to step in early. Let’s keep normalizing asking for help. Let’s build school cultures where seeking support is seen as strong and responsible. The data shows students are using these platforms—we owe it to them to keep improving, keep listening, and keep supporting.
Thanks for joining us on this Lightning Chat. Let’s keep the conversation going and continue finding the best ways to help our students, our schools, and our communities be safe.
Take care,
Kevin
