Stymie

Coming soon to Fairhills....

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 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 2020, there were 66 000 Stymie notifications delivered.

Since launching we have introduced Stymie to more than 600 000 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. 

What happens next?

Following the launch day, students will be 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. A sample of a focus post from Term 1 this year follows:

We welcome, and would love you to join us on social media too, you can find us on Instagram@stymie_community 

Thank you for your support. Together, we’re making a difference. #saysomething