An anonymous reporting system “enabled 1,039 confirmed mental health interventions; 109 ‘saves’ where clear evidence of imminent suicide crisis was present and averted; prevented 38 acts of school-violence including weapons recovered on school grounds; and averted 6 confirmed planned school attacks,” according to the report.

The most effective solutions start long before a student begins thinking about committing self-harm, says Brandy Samuell, a former K12 administrator who is now director of product management at eLuma, a teletherapy provider.

The edtech surveillance industry has boomed in recent years for obvious reasons. But researchers argue that the industry is playing on the fears of K12 districts in the wake of school shootings and other threats.