This mobile app could help curb bullying at Southern New Castle County schools

Students in the Appoquinimink School District in Southern New Castle County have returned for the new year with a new tool to protect themselves from bullying and other safety concerns.

An app called STOPit, added automatically to students’ district-issued tablets, lets kids anonymously report issues such as cyber-bullying, threats of self-harm and harmful behavior to the administration in real time.

The rollout of the app — which is also available for free for smartphones — will coincide with classroom discussion on the subject of bullying.

“Once word gets out, we believe this will become a powerful deterrent and an important new tool in school security,” said Tom Poehlmann, Appoquinimink’s Director of Safety, Security and Operations, in a district statement. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenge of creating a safe learning environment for students, but we’re committed to adding as many layers to the onion as we can.”

Appoquinimink School District, which includes Middletown High and Appoquinimink High, is the first district in Delaware to adopt the STOPit app.

Read more about the rollout on the district’s website.