Gaggle Speaks

Ideas, news, and advice for K-12 educators and administrators to help create safe learning environments.

Gaggle Student Safety

The State of Student Safety: 2020–21 School Year


close
Written by Lisa Railton
on October 5, 2021

Each year, we share our findings from the most recent school year in our annual Through the Gaggle Lens: The State of Student Safety report. When the 2020–21 school year began last year, none of us knew what to expect. We knew that some students would return to the classroom, some would learn at home, and others would engage in a hybrid model. But we didn’t know just how unpredictable the year would be, how the pandemic would progress, or what we would see in terms of student safety. As we continue with the 2021–22 school year, we still don’t know how unpredictable this new year will be or how the pandemic will progress, but Gaggle’s data can offer insight into the state of student safety. 

During the 2020–21 school year, Gaggle analyzed more than 10.1 billion email messages, chats, and files produced on school-provided devices and platforms—a 63% increase in student content from the previous school year. Within this student content, Gaggle discovered more than 360,000 student safety incidents that required district attention and intervention. Compared to the 2019–20 school year, student safety incident rates increased significantly in the five main categories Gaggle flags:

  • Suicide & Self-Harm increased by 87% (from 148 to 276 incidents per 10,000 students)
  • Violence Toward Others increased by 104% (from 88 to 179 incidents per 10,000 students)
  • Nudity & Sexual Content increased by 151% (from 46 to 116 incidents per 10,000 students)
  • Drugs & Alcohol increased by 134% (from 21 to 50 incidents per 10,000 students)
  • Harassment increased by 55% (from 32 to 50 incidents per 10,000 students)

Our annual report includes our findings based on data collected from July 2020 through June 2021, offering K-12 educators greater insight into harmful student behavior as seen through the Gaggle lens. Access the report today to learn more about what Gaggle saw during this unusual year, how student safety trends compare in different regions across the country, and what experts have to say about the state of student safety and well-being.

Let Us Know What You Thought About This Post.

Put your comment below.

You may also like:

Gaggle Student Mental Health Gaggle Therapy Educator Wellness

Navigating Stress This Spring

Academic achievements are important, but so is the mental health of students and staff. With April being Stress Awarenes...

Gaggle Student Safety Student Mental Health Technology

Gaggle’s Support Team Spotlight | Part Two

Welcome to the second post of our latest series: Gaggle’s Support Team Spotlight. Through this series, we're diving into...

Gaggle Student Safety Student Mental Health Technology

Utilizing ESSER Funds in K-12 Districts

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund has emerged as a crucial resource for K-12 districts. ...