The developer, Warren Hickinbotham, believes Stop!t, a simple app available for smartphones and anyone with access to a PC, has the potential to save lives.
Developed in the US in 2014 on the back of a tragic teenage suicide, STOP!t gives pupils, students, parents, teachers, employees and the public a voice where previously they had none.
“The ability to report any incident, anonymously, is what puts the power back in the hands of the victim and what makes STOP!t a must for all schools, universities, organisations and communities,” Hickinbotham said.
Stop!t works hand-in-hand with a cloud-based management system called DOCUMENTit, which records all reporting activity and provides the ability for the administrator to communicate with the victim in real time, without ever knowing their identity, in order to get more information and determine an immediate course of action.
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DOCUMENTit is highly customisable and data produced over time aids in the preparation and implementation of strategic security protocol unique to each institution.
To date, STOP!t is used in over 7 000 schools with more than 2.5 million users worldwide.
The platform is available in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and now, for the first time, in South Africa.
To put STOPit in your school or organisation, contact Hickinbotham on 084 400 5995 or warren@blankpage.co.za.
