A System Failing Its Students
Nearly 20% of high school students seriously considered suicide in the past year
The need for effective, data-driven risk management in schools is no longer theoretical—it's urgent.
Students Considered Suicide
20%
High school students in the past year (CDC, 2023)
Leading Cause of Death
2nd
Among young people aged 10-24
School Shootings (2023)
300+
Up from fewer than 50 in 2013
Preventable
94%
Of attackers had identifiable precursors never formally assessed
The Data Tells the Story
Undeniable evidence of an urgent crisis
Youth Suicide Rate (Ages 10-24)
39% increase from 2011 to 2021
Source: CDC NCHS Data Brief 471, National Vital Statistics System
School Shootings with Injuries/Deaths
410% increase from 2020 to 2022
Source: Education Week K-12 School Shooting Tracker
Every tragedy has one common thread: missed warning signs
School staff often notice concerning behaviors but lack a centralized, compliant process to record and escalate them. Paper forms, isolated emails, and informal meetings result in critical data being lost or ignored.
Students rarely "snap." They show warning signs. Threat and risk assessments catch them before harm happens: these tools save lives by identifying kids in crisis early. Schools are legally and ethically obligated to intervene before escalation. When districts miss warning signs, the consequences are catastrophic: for students, families, and the district itself.
The result is preventable violence, preventable suicides, and avoidable liability.
Today, threat assessments are documented on paper and locked in filing cabinets. Critical information is scattered, lost, or tied to individuals who leave. Teams make life-altering decisions without complete student history. There's no data, no analytics, no trend visibility: districts are flying blind.
A safety workflow that depends on printing, scanning, and passing papers around is guaranteed to fail when it matters most. This creates a cascade of problems:
Students fall through cracks because no one sees the full picture
Districts can't track at-risk students over years or across campuses
Leadership has no insight into rising risks or intervention effectiveness
Missing or incomplete documentation exposes districts to extreme liability
Delays and errors happen because paper slows everything down
When staff turns over, institutional memory disappears instantly
Three Forces Converging
Creating a new market necessity: digital compliance infrastructure for school safety
Youth Mental Health Crisis
Of Unprecedented Scale
A mental health crisis of unprecedented scale is overwhelming school systems
- Nearly 20% of high school students seriously considered suicide in the past year (CDC, 2023)
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10–24
- Youth suicide rate increased 39% from 2011 to 2021 (CDC NVSS)
- School shootings have surged from fewer than 50 incidents in 2013 to more than 300 in 2023
Legal & Regulatory Demands
Accelerating Nationwide
Schools across the U.S. are being legally compelled to implement behavioral threat assessment programs
- 11 states now mandate threat assessment teams and programs
- Virginia led in 2013, followed by Florida post-Parkland (2018)
- California SB 906 (2023): Immediate reporting of homicidal threats required
- California SB 1241 (Pending): Universal teams by July 2027
- U.S. Dept of Homeland Security & Secret Service formally recommend programs
Escalating Financial Liability
For Failure to Act
Legal precedent is setting a clear message: failure to identify and document threats can expose schools to crippling liability
- Virginia Tech (2007): $11 million settlement
- Marysville, WA (2014): $18 million payout
- Parkland, FL (2018): $25M (school) + $127.5M (federal) = $152.5M total
- Cleveland v. Taft Union (CA, 2022): $2M for failure to document warning signs
Mandate Adoption Accelerating
From 1 state in 2013 to 11 states by 2023
2013
Virginia (First)
2018
Florida (Post-Parkland)
2020
5 States
2023
11 States
Escalating Financial Liability
Major settlements for failure to identify and document threats
Virginia Tech
$11M
2007
Marysville, WA
$18M
2014
Parkland, FL
$152.5M
2018
Cleveland v. Taft
$2M
2022
The Convergence
The convergence of these forces is creating a new market necessity: digital compliance infrastructure for school safety.
Sources & Citations
- CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (2023) - https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
- CDC NCHS Data Brief 471 (Suicide Rates 2011-2021) - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db471-tables.pdf
- Education Week School Shootings Tracker (2018-2024) - https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2025/01
- Everytown Research on School Shootings - https://everytownresearch.org
- Virginia Tech Settlement (2007) - Education Week Legal Analysis
- Parkland Settlements ($152.5M Total) - Education Week Coverage
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security - School Safety Guidance - https://www.dhs.gov
- U.S. Secret Service NTAC - Threat Assessment Guidelines - https://www.secretservice.gov/reports