Stymie
#saysomething
Hi! Welcome to Stymie, it's really great to be part of the Mirboo North Secondary College community! So, what is Stymie? Stymie is an old fashioned word that means to stop or thwart.
Stymie is an online, confidential messaging service for anyone who is needing help or is concerned about someone else. Stymie provides a proactive opportunity for students to say something about harmful behaviours or anything they are concerned about for themselves, or someone else.
It works, because it is accessible 24/7, anonymous, easy to use and messages are typically delivered in a few seconds to approved notification recipients.
In 2022, there were over 95 000 Stymie notifications delivered
We highlight issues and behaviours in society that are concerning, and how easily we too can be bystanders. What we do complements the wellbeing framework that already exists in your school.
Since launching we have introduced Stymie to more than 700 000 students.
We are now operating in over 200 schools in Australia, together with New Zealand and The UAE.
Important information on the background and details about Stymie.
Our evidence-based notification system draws on 25 years of leadership experience in education, corporate Australia, sport, clubs and associations and a research base founded in wellbeing and mental health.
Stymie is a web app that delivers encrypted, anonymous and confidential notifications and where possible, uploaded evidence including screenshots to authorised recipients about issues of abuse, harm and unacceptable behaviour.
Our focus is on breaking the cycle of harm and abuse through education, intervention and prevention. We know that the first step (in breaking the cycle of harm) is to reduce the stigma associated with reaching out for help.
Our CEO, Rachel Downie, 2020 QLD Australian of The Year developed Stymie as a way to empathetically connect us with our courage, honesty and conscience, to enable us to speak out about issues we are concerned about for ourselves and others. In doing so Rachel’s ambition is to help us all rewrite our culture to one of care in the communities we interact with every day.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” - FREDERICK DOUGLASS
What happens next?
Following the launch day, students are free to use the Stymie notification system. We keep in touch with every school, every week of every term.
We do this by providing what we call focus posts to all our schools to share with their students.
These focus posts are shared by schools in a variety of ways including in newsletters, school intranet, at school assemblies, and on social media. Many schools print them and post them in high traffic areas around the school. They do this because the focus posts are for the students, they are a reminder that Stymie is there for them every single day.
We welcome, and would love you to join us on social media too, you can find us on Instagramor Facebook
