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.

Nancy Lublin: Texting that saves lives

Texting that saves lives

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.

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.