Authored by PIPC Staff

Part II: Privacy and Equity Concerns Privacy and Equity Concerns Raised by Self-Harm Monitoring Technology Before adopting self-harm monitoring technology, schools and districts should understand the risks self-harm monitoring technology can pose to students’ privacy and safety and carefully weigh those risks against any benefits. Schools have widely and rapidly adopted self-harm monitoring technologies, despite the fact that they are relatively new and unstudied.49 Over the past two years, adoption increased as concerns grew about students struggling with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.50 These facts raise important questions about the privacy risks and implications of monitoring that schools must […]

Part I: Background What Is Self-Harm Monitoring Technology and How Do Schools Use It? Schools often adopt self-harm monitoring technology with the best intentions: to help keep students safe and improve their well-being. However, if implemented without due consideration to the significant privacy and equity risks posed to students, these programs may harm the very students that need the most support or protection, while ineffectively fulfilling their intended purpose of preventing self-harm. Before adopting self-harm monitoring technology, schools and districts should understand the risks self-harm monitoring technology can pose to students’ privacy and safety, take thoughtful steps to mitigate those