Sixteen Capital Region school districts are using a new anonymous reporting system to help students report when other students are in danger of hurting themselves.

The system, run by StopIt, is one of the measures highly recommended by the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise. 

With a father and grandfather who served as police officers, high school student Justin O'Donnell already knows what his plans are for the future, so he's studying criminal justice through Questar. But the 11th grader says being a teenager these days comes with unique challenges.

"There's a lot of things got to worry about with social media and in person things, a lot of people are judgmental these days," said O'Donnell. "It's kind of stressful. Depending on what grade you are, the higher grades definitely expect a lot more from you. It's very important for students like to have that good peer relationships, but sometimes it's not there."

Students said they don't always feel comfortable reporting bullying, cyber abuse, and other inappropriate behaviors in person, but STOPit allows students to anonymously submit tips right from their phone.

"I downloaded the app because I just thought it would be a good back-up thing to have if I ever needed it, or there was a situation that I just didn't feel comfortable talking to a teacher with," said O'Donnell.

The app alerts designated administrators to risks in real time so they can intervene before the issue escalates.

"We like it because it gives students an opportunity to demonstrate some agency in this situation," said Anthony DeFazio, principal of Robert H. Gibson Technical School.

One in five high school students reported being bullied on school property in the last year, according to the CDC.

DeFazio said this isn't a replacement for in-person reporting, but, hopes the additional option will give everyone some peace of mind.

"If the students feel that they can trust the adults around them, they'll feel safe," said DeFazio. "They feel safe, gives them a nice environment to learn."

O'Donnell said he's grateful for a tool that allows him to do something to protect his classmates.

"I think it could prevent quite a bit of stuff," said O'Donnell. "If there ever was an event that someone felt threatened or didn't want to talk to a teacher I thought would be pretty cool to have," said O'Donnell. "It's a really good idea, it could save someones life."