Benton County Schools Embrace AnComm's New Product.

'Talk About It' allows students to anonymously report threats, personal problems

OXFORD, Miss. -- With the escalation in school violence, administrators across the country are looking for ways to prevent tragic events in their own schools. One of the best ways to reduce such violence is to encourage students to report threats of intimidation or harassment, but students are often reluctant to file reports for fear of retaliation.

A new online messaging tool, Talk About It, is designed to bridge this communication gap by allowing students to anonymously report issues and engage in safe dialogue with school personnel. An early adopter of the Talk About It service in North Mississippi is the Benton County School District, where the service will be implemented for use in Ashland Elementary, Junior High, and High School, as well as the Hickory Flat Attendance Center. Safe and Drug Free Schools funds are being used to pay the annual licensing fee.

Using any computer with Internet access, students can communicate threats of violence or personal problems to school personnel, who help to create positive connections and safely resolve threats before tragedy strikes. "The product allows faculty members to respond in real-time to new messages, so they can provide immediate help to the student," said Carter Myers, president of AnComm. "Unlike one-way messages sent through tip lines, this allows students to open up a dialogue with a school official. Also the ability to reveal the user's identity in the face of an immediate threat is key as is the reporting feature that allows the school, even the district to see what is going on in the school system," Myers said.

"We know students are the best source of information for what is happening in schools - the key is to create a forum where they feel safe to share that information," said Myers. "Today's students prefer to communicate through familiar mediums - e-mail, instant messaging. Talk About It allows them to reach out through a comfortable, safe environment where they don't have to be afraid that someone might see them making a report or seeking help for a problem."

AnComm serves schools in Mississippi, Texas, Wyoming, California, Ohio and Arkansas. "The Talk About service has already had a dramatic impact on the schools in Pearl, Petal, Lamar County, Hattiesburg, Laurel, and the School of the Arts and as a Mississippi company we are thrilled to have an opportunity to serve another one of our school districts," said Myers.

About AnComm

AnComm is the leading innovator of technology-based solutions that allow students to anonymously communicate issues. "Talk About It," has been successful in helping to reduce school violence and teen suicides. Founded by Louis Brandt, who has supported educational causes for more than 30 years through The Brandt Foundation, AnComm was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi. More information about the product is available at http://talkaboutit.ancomm.com.