Name: Texting that saves lives
Uploaded: 2012-04-27T15:12:33Z
Duration: 5 min 7 s
Description: When Nancy Lublin started texting teenagers to help with her social advocacy organization, what she found was shocking -- they started texting back about their own problems, from bullying to depression to abuse. So she's setting up a text-only crisis line, and the results might be even more important than she expected.

When Nancy Lublin started texting teenagers to help with her social advocacy organization, what she found was shocking -- they started texting back about their own problems, from bullying to depression to abuse. So she's setting up a text-only crisis line, and the results might be even more important than she expected.

Texting that saves lives

What began as a tool for social change campaigns turned into an unexpected rescue line for young people facing bullying, abuse, and self-harm. One organization received texts like 'He won't stop raping me. It's my dad. Are you there?' and realized the urgent need for a crisis text hotline. Texting, with its 100 percent open rate among teens, offers fast, private, and real-time support. The resulting data can reveal hidden patterns, guiding prevention efforts and shaping school and legislative responses.