As schools welcome back their students across the UK, it’s important to remember, that for many young people, returning to school may be an added source of anxiety in an already uncertain time. 

It is likely that many children are facing the transition between home-schooling and the return to the classroom an unsettling and stressful event, especially those who may already be vulnerable.

Added to this is the alarming rise in mental health concerns amongst young people. With recent statistics released by the millennium cohort study, by University College London, stating that 7.4% of young people have attempted suicide by the age of 17.

Teachers and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) across the UK will be trying as best they can to keep a close eye on their students, but with increasing pressures to keep their physical environment safe, it is often their digital environment that can become neglected.

What can be done?

Digital monitoring acts as an extra pair of eyes and ears for DSLs – finding and alerting them to children at risk – children who may otherwise go unnoticed.

Monitoring technology, working alongside human moderators, flags children at risk of harm suggested by their online activities, search behaviour or use of apps – even whilst offline.

In 2019 Smoothwall Monitor found a student facing a serious risk to their health or life every 3 minutes. That’s 5009 children who could otherwise have been overlooked. That figure had increased by 250% at the end of 2020.

Smoothwall Monitor Free for 90 Days

With new threats emerging during this uncertain time and students facing all kinds of added stress factors, digital monitoring technology is becoming a crucial part of a school’s safeguarding strategy. To help your school better understand the benefits of monitoring technology, Smoothwall are providing their award-winning Monitor Managed Service free of charge for 90 days.