A new campaign announced Friday, May 5, is designed to urge Los Angeles County high school students to raise a red flag if they witness disturbing or threatening behavior by a fellow student.
The initiative features social media ads and in-school posters encouraging students to contact the county’s School Threat Assessment Response Team — START — program if they suspect threats on campus.
“If one of our students witnesses something that doesn’t feel right, they need to know there is someone they can call who can step in and help,” Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement. “We are blanketing social media with these ads so we can reach as many LA County students as possible with this information.”
Created in 2009, the START program consists of mental health professionals who work with schools and law enforcement and respond to calls about concerning behavior that could potentially lead to violence. When contacted about a student who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the team comes in to assess the level of risk and provide targeted intervention to the student.
Up until now, however, START training and advertisements have been aimed at teachers, school administrators, and other school staff. Studies have shown that many youth who commit acts of violence at school discuss or mention their plans beforehand, often on social media and to other students, according to the statement. Targeted intervention can successfully prevent violence, and it is important that programs like START are informed about early warning signs, Hahn said.
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Stoic Apologist says
lots of opportunity for this to backfire.
put the judgement about who is ‘sane’ in the hands of adolescents?
it used to be (maybe still is) a teen prank to pull a fire alarm as a prank.
imagine how this ‘sanity check’ alarm could be used to out someone, to ‘SWAT’ someone…
not woke, just bad policy
ACE says
MORE SILLINESS…
***
Play Hardball and Stomp on Johnson's says
Repercussions and not Reparations may get the word out
“MAYBE I SHOULDN’T DO THIS “
Won't Work says
Campaigns don’t work … systems too Woke
Build a Super Penatentiary in Cal City says
Need facilities to contain massive amounts of idiots without bail until trial.
John says
Since I go no where near school campuses I would prefer to keep the violence on campus..
I fully support cancelling the LASD contract and removing LEO’s from AV High School campuses.
Bud Light says
Campaigns, Social Workers, Wokeness, and even all the Black commercials is not the answer.
It’s the loss of God and the Heathens that don’t know how to act in a civilized community.
And Tim Scott is one of them.
Tim Scott says
Where is this ‘civilized community’ of which you speak?