SAFETY_POLICY
EFFECTIVE: MARCH 30, 2026
In an Emergency, Call 911
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
BalanceBoard is not a real-time crisis service. Always contact emergency services first.
1. Our Commitment to Student Safety
BalanceBoard serves middle and high school students navigating one of the most stressful periods of their lives. We take our responsibility for student safety seriously. This Safety Policy explains how BalanceBoard detects, responds to, and escalates safety concerns — and the limits of what we can do as a technology platform.
2. In-App Safety Features
Emergency Toolkit
A floating, always-accessible set of immediate coping tools: breathing exercises, grounding techniques, and crisis resource links. Available on every page. No login required to access if already signed in.
AI Crisis Detection
The AI Buddy monitors for explicit and implicit distress signals in conversations (e.g., "I can't take this anymore," "I want to disappear"). When detected, it: (1) Acknowledges the user's feelings with empathy; (2) Surfaces the 988 Lifeline and Crisis Text Line immediately; (3) Recommends the in-app Emergency Toolkit; (4) Does NOT continue normal task management until the user signals they are okay.
Community Content Moderation
Automated keyword filtering and rate limiting for community features. Posts flagged for potential self-harm content are automatically queued for human review. Vent Room messages containing crisis language trigger a crisis resource prompt.
User Reporting System
Every post, message, and comment has a one-tap report button. Reports of self-harm, suicide, or immediate danger are flagged as high-priority and reviewed within hours.
3. Limits of Our Safety Capabilities
Be Aware of What BalanceBoard Cannot Do
- We cannot monitor conversations in real time. Content moderation happens through automated filters and periodic human review — not continuous live monitoring.
- We are not a crisis hotline. If someone contacts us about an emergency, we cannot dispatch help. We will direct them to 911 and 988.
- We cannot guarantee immediate response. Our support team may take hours or days to review reports (we prioritize safety flags but we are a small team).
- AI detection is imperfect. The AI may miss subtle distress signals or misinterpret sarcasm/frustration as crisis indicators. It is a tool, not a clinician.
- Vent Room messages are deleted after 24 hours. If a crisis is reported after deletion, we may not have the message content, though we retain logs of who posted in which room.
In any genuine emergency, call 911 immediately. Do not wait for BalanceBoard to respond.
4. When We May Contact Third Parties
BalanceBoard deeply respects student privacy. We do not share your data by default. However, in limited circumstances, your safety may require us to act differently. These situations are rare and treated as last resorts:
Imminent Danger to Self or Others
If we receive credible, specific information indicating imminent risk of serious harm to a student or others (e.g., a detailed, actionable suicide plan or a credible threat of school violence), we may contact:
- Emergency services (911) with the student's account email and the specific content
- The student's school, if we have that information on file
We apply the standards of the Safe Messaging Guidelines to assess whether a disclosure is truly warranted — we do not overreact to general expressions of frustration or stress.
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
Any confirmed CSAM is immediately reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline and relevant law enforcement, as required by federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2258A). The account is permanently banned.
Valid Legal Process
We may disclose user information in response to a valid court order, search warrant, subpoena, or equivalent legal process. We will notify the user to the extent permitted by law and will challenge overly broad requests.
Outside of these specific situations, we do not share student information with schools, parents, or other third parties without explicit user consent.
5. Legal Framework for Safety Disclosures
Our safety disclosure protocols are informed by:
- FERPA Exception for Health & Safety Emergencies: FERPA permits disclosure of educational records without consent in genuine emergencies to protect the health or safety of the student or others (34 C.F.R. § 99.36). We apply this exception narrowly and document all uses.
- COPPA Safety Provisions: We may share information necessary to protect the safety of a child in accordance with COPPA's safety exception.
- State Mandatory Reporting Laws: Some states impose mandatory reporting obligations on certain entities. We monitor applicable state laws and comply where required.
- 18 U.S.C. § 2258A (NCMEC Reporting): Federal law requires electronic service providers to report CSAM. We comply unconditionally.
6. Student Privacy in Safety Situations
We balance student privacy against safety using these principles:
- We default to privacy protection and only override it when the danger is specific, credible, and imminent
- We do not disclose wellness data (mood scores, stress levels, journal entries) to schools or parents as a matter of routine — this data is private to the student
- If a student's school counselor eventually gains access through our future counselor feature, that will only happen with the student's explicit consent
- General expression of stress ("I'm so stressed about finals") does not trigger any disclosure — only specific, credible threats to life do
7. Reporting Safety Concerns to Us
If you are concerned about another user's safety on BalanceBoard:
- Immediate danger: Call 911 first. Then report to us.
- In-app report: Use the flag/report button on any concerning content and select "Safety Concern."
- Email: support@balanceboard.app with subject "SAFETY EMERGENCY" (caps triggers priority review).
We review safety-flagged reports as our highest priority. Response may still take hours, not minutes. For true emergencies, always contact professional services first.
Crisis Resources
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Available 24/7 — US
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Available 24/7 — US
Trevor Project
1-866-488-7386
LGBTQ+ youth support
Emergency Services
911
Immediate physical danger
SAMHSA Helpline
1-800-662-4357
Mental health & substance use
School Counselor
Your school office
During school hours