LONGVIEW, Texas — Bullying continues to be a prominent issue nationwide and right here in our East Texas community.
When it comes to students’ mental health, a huge factor is bullying. It’s happened at school, and online when they leave the classroom.
“Mental health issues are on the rise. And we have to keep up with it, we have to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Francisco Rojas, public information officer for Longview ISD.
One East Texas school district is getting innovative to tackle this issue.
The Longview ISD school district is working with an organization called Gaggle, targeted specifically at cyberbullying.
“We expect this to be a tool available to help our students and staff 24/7 who might be dealing or battling with mental health issues,” said Rojas. "We expect this to be an extra pair of eyes, an extra pair of ears and hands for our school district.”
The software scans students’ devices to look for keywords that show signs of cyberbullying. When detected, it’ll be reported to administrators with further repercussions handled by the school district.
Recent studies show more than half of students experience or engage in cyberbullying.
Community organizations like Pure Jiu-Jitsu want to give students alternative ways to cope with bullies.
“We’re trying to build everyone confidence up in that area that’s where they’re going to feel empowered and better about themselves and things they do every single day,” said Brandon Walker, Head Instructor of Pure Jiu-Jitsu.
They teach that bullying can be overcome with strong character.
Gaggle will launch in the Longview school district middle and high schools on Dec. 9th.