Student's business helps children report harassment, illegal activity

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A BYU student is building a business around helping school children report bullies, drug abuse and other campus problems.

Justin Bergener says his motivation to create SchoolTipline.com was personal. "My sister experienced some peer harassment in her school for reporting some illegal activity that other students were doing," he explained.

The system works like this: Students log on to the school's tip line Web site and anonymously let the principal, school resource officer or a teacher know if there's a bully.

Students can also inform them of someone selling drugs, a planned fight or anything else. The students can even use text messaging to alert administrators.

"I wish I would have had this when I was a student. I wish there was something that I could have done, because students know about these things first," Bergener said.

Bergner says he charges schools for his system based on their student enrollment. So far, he's set up tip lines at 54 schools in six states.

E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com