How can we safely connect students online?

Online harassment and digital misconduct – whether sexual or otherwise – have been well-documented for years. It’s a serious and widespread issue that has been happening for so long that it’s often considered to be the Internet’s oldest problem.

Worse yet, such behaviors happen to users on most platforms, from social media and dating apps to more professional sites like LinkedIn. Over the past few years, we have seen increased awareness surrounding the issue, and users are frequently calling on tech companies to do more to create a safer environment on their platforms. 

We hear you. At Unibuddy, we understand the importance of safeguarding our users from inappropriate conduct across all of our products and prioritize doing so.

Why safeguarding is important to Unibuddy

Our online chat platform was built to help universities connect prospective and current students around the world. When they use it, prospective students are able to have peer-to-peer, personalized conversations with student ambassadors to get first-hand advice and insider knowledge on everything from accommodation and courses to extracurricular activities and nightlife.

Related: What to consider for the best university chat app

Because student ambassadors, who are generally between the ages of 18 and 24, are based almost entirely online, safeguarding them is particularly important to Unibuddy. Thankfully, very few users do sign onto Unibuddy with the intent to abuse – in fact, less than 1% of messages are reported as inappropriate. 

However, fighting misconduct online remains a challenge for a variety of reasons.

Why fighting online misconduct is difficult

Most importantly, the majority of inappropriate content can be difficult – and sometimes impossible – to detect. 

Oftentimes, while just as insidious as explicit language, inappropriate language is far more subtle. Moreover, it is often dependent on the context in which it’s being used. Just because a message doesn’t contain explicit content doesn’t mean it’s not explicit, excessively personal or irrelevant to a user.

Another unique problem that platforms like Unibuddy Chat face is striking a balance between a professional purpose and the informal, personal feel that’s so crucial to chat apps. They also must find ways to prevent shocking behaviors so often enabled by anonymity while allowing students the privacy to chat freely. 

Related: Unibuddy Events vs Zoom vs GoToWebinar

Prospective students and ambassadors not only want but deserve the opportunity to talk to each other in a way that is relaxed enough that they can be themselves but without the risk of it becoming an unsafe environment. 

The question, then, becomes: how can Unibuddy solve misconduct on our platform and connect students with student ambassadors safely?

Unibuddy’s safety measures

There are a number of solutions that Unibuddy employs to tackle the issue of misconduct and keep all of its users safe.

Word flagging

Word flagging prevents the most overt harassment by flagging swear words and words with inappropriate connotations such as ‘sexy’ to delete or hide the message before the recipient has to receive or see it.

Thorough verification processes

A proper, thorough verification process allows universities to be sure that email addresses used to register belong to real users. With this process in place, Unibuddy is able to help combat trolling while also reminding users that they must conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.

The ability to block other users

If an ambassador feels the need to block a user, they can select a reason for the action (e.g., inappropriate, threatening or spam messages). 

Not only will a report be sent to the university supervisor for further action, but the user will be prevented from sending further messages to any ambassadors from that point forward. In launching this feature, Unibuddy has effectively safeguarded all ambassadors from an offending user.

Pre-filled answer templates

Ambassadors receive comprehensive training before they begin working on the Unibuddy Chat platform that prepares them for any and all situations.

However, if they should find themselves in a situation in which they’re unsure of how to reply to a prospective student, ambassadors are armed with a selection of pre-made template responses to help guide them.

Code of conduct

In order to manage the expectations from the site and help find the balance between informal and professional, Unibuddy now has prospective students read a code of conduct before connecting with ambassadors. 

Acknowledging such a code helps to establish a set of expected and accepted behaviors for those using Unibuddy Chat. This allows for a standardized set of communication rules for students across the globe, who live in greatly differing cultures, before they come in contact with each other. 

Final thoughts

With moderation and safeguarding at the forefront of our mission to connect students from around the world, Unibuddy is consistently revising and implementing new and innovative features to fight inappropriate conduct online. Further, we regularly consult with ambassadors to make sure they’re getting the most out of our platform.

To learn more about the safety features built into Unibuddy Chat or see them in action with a personalized demo.