ENFUSE: Safer Student Communities
A Depth-Core Product developed in partnership with Surrey Safe Schools and the Surrey RCMP
Introduction
One of the most effective ways to protect students at the elementary and secondary school levels is to get them working with each other, their parents, their teachers, and authorities in the effort to remove criminal and bullying behavior from their schools. Other efforts at encouraging and providing students with the means to submit tips have only been marginally successful because they attempted to create a sense of community among a very geographically diverse set of students. It is more difficult to get students to participate in such an initiative if they are very disconnected from the program. Students will be more confident that what they say will be addressed in a timely and confidential matter if they know they are dealing with a local system. It is too difficult to maintain accountability in a program that is spread over the entire province.
By providing students with the means and encouragement to form a cohesive community at the individual school or district level we help them take ownership of their role in protecting it. By bringing this community online we give them the ability to safely and anonymously report bullies and criminal behavior without fear of retribution by their peers. Because the reporting tool is integrated into the website, visitors can't be identified as people that will sell out their peers, providing students with an additional layer of protection that they will need to feel safe providing the information.
