3 min read
Instagram has announced the launch of its School Partnership Program, a new initiative aimed at helping educators report teen safety concerns, including cyberbullying, directly to the platform. The program is designed to expedite the review of reports submitted by verified school accounts and provide additional resources to support student safety online.
Instagram’s move comes in response to increasing concerns from parents and educators about cyberbullying among students. Recent research reveals that targeted youth who experience cyberbullying share their incidents with their schools at a rate of 13%, yet they feel their educators do not provide enough help against the problem. Through the School Partnership Program, schools can now establish a direct communication line to Instagram for fast safety violation reporting.
“We recognize that educators play a key role in supporting students’ well-being,” said Sameer Hinduja, PhD, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. “With Instagram’s new system, reports from schools will be prioritized, ensuring that bullying and harassment are addressed more effectively.”
How the School Partnership Program Works?
The educational program of the United States enables schools at middle and high educational levels to join through official Instagram configuration or formal waiting lists. Once verified, participating schools gain access to several benefits:
- Prioritized Reporting: The reporting process for school partners receives faster reviews that deliver status updates alongside information about performed actions.
- Educational Resources: The platform will offer educational tools and curriculum materials to assist teaching staff and families alongside their students in online security management.
- School Partner Badge: Checking into Instagram enables schools to display a banner designating their participation so students and parents can easily identify verified educational institutions.
Instagram tested its new program in 60 schools during the past year, collaborating with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
“Within the first week of using Instagram’s program, we saw harassing posts taken down quickly,” said D.J. Ashford, a studio art and media teacher. “This initiative gives educators more control over online safety and provides much-needed support.”
The platform initiated Teen Accounts as a new security-based feature after releasing the safety-focused initiative for teen users. Instagram’s Teen Accounts feature protects minors by establishing automated privacy options in conjunction with communication constraints and filtering features.
Instagram’s safety measures align with ongoing conversations among regulators about protecting young users online under the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Political pressure for stronger social media rules forces Instagram and other platforms to develop more robust protection mechanisms.
U.S. middle and high schools interested in joining the School Partnership Program can sign up through Instagram’s settings under Account Type and Tools or Business Tools and Controls.
With the launch of this program, Instagram is taking a decisive step toward fostering a safer online environment for students, reinforcing its commitment to combating cyberbullying in schools.
