The White Hatter Medallion is a community service program initiative where we recognize those who have reached out to us seeking help for a friend that resulted in a significant intervention and possibly a lifesaving experience.
Given the thousands of students, we have presented and broadcasted to across North America, It is not uncommon for those students to connect with us online in some way to further ask questions. Most of the time these are simple answer responses but at times students have reached out because they find themselves or a friend in a dangerous online situation. In those cases where students are looking to help a friend or even a stranger in great need we send those youth a token of our appreciation for their service to help us make the world a safer place. Each Medallion is uniquely numbered emphasizing the special importance and the story behind it. We obviously do not publish the names and exact details behind every awarded medallion out of respect. But if you see any of our medallions know the importance of what they signify, and how there is a story behind every one.
Launched in celebration of our organization’s 25-year anniversary, we want to recognize those tweens, teens, and adults who go that extra mile to help others. These two-sided, individually numbered medallions have The White Hatter logo on one side, and a black and white ribbon on the other, signifying internet/social media safety and digital literacy. The Latin phrase Semper Ibi, which means always there, is a commitment that we make to everyone who participates in our programs “if you need help, and do not know where to turn, you can connect with us, and we can be there to help guide those who need help when it comes to safety, privacy, and digital literacy concerns”
Recipients of this recognition are the humble digital sheepdogs that walk amongst us, at times a protector, and at other times a mentor. We are excited about this project; we want to recognize others who have become White Hatters. This is a way for us to say thank you. These tweens, teens, and adults have learned to become upstanders rather than bystanders in this digital world, and for their efforts, we wish to recognize these extraordinary and outstanding people by presenting them with The White Hatter Medallion.
Excerpts from Awarded Medallions
Student concerned for a friend that they were talking with online and who expressed that they were self-harming and were considering suicide.
Student came forward to the principal after our presentation and showed them a message being sent around the school harassing another student. It was dealt with immediately.
Student connected about a teen who was online, with severe depression, and threatening to take their life. We walked them through the process of how to contact emergency services and what to say. This resulted in a successful intervention by the police and emergency mental health team.
High school teen following participating in The White Hatter program approached a school resource officer after presentation and the suspect abuser was arrested.
Worried about a friend in another State that posted a self-harm picture and a bottle of pills saying was going to take them and end their life. This resulted in successful intervention.
Students connected with us to say a friend had taken 12 pills. We worked with the teen and connected with the local emergency services to intervene.
Student after our White Hatter program at their school had deeply resonated with connected with us about a friend who is homeschooled and was threatening suicide. Was able to work with the local mental health services.
Teen messaged about a friend saying they were going to commit suicide. The teen worked with us and coordinated with the school and discovered the friend was at school where staff could take care of them and teh friend was now getting the help needed.
Teen who participated in a White Hatter program a year prior connected with us about a friend that took a bunch of pills and shared that info online. The teen and their mom connected the parent of the friend who was found by the parent semi-conscious at 1:00 am (almost 8 hours from the initial post). During those hours, there were many others who had seen the post and commented but no other actions were taken by others.
Teen connected with The White Hatter about a friend who had run away and was living on the street. They agreed to meet the friend at a local library and connected with local emergency services to get the friend the help they needed.
Teen in British Columbia reached out to us about another teen, from another Province, who was suicidal and threatening to take a bunch of sleeping pills with alcohol. This teen who had heard us speak at their school connected with us, and we guided them through the process of connecting with their local police department, who were able to track this other teen to Nova Scotia. This BC teen spent hours online interacting with this suicidal friend over Snapchat, who in the end actually texted the message, "Thank you for saving my life”
University student contacted with The White Hatter about a friend in their hometown who posted a suicide message on Facebook. We coordinated with the young adult to work with local emergency services do a welfare check.
USA-based teen who heard us speak at their school 3 years prior. They advised us that they located a TikTok video that had just been posted a 3-page suicide note from another teen. Through online investigation techniques, we were able to learn that the at-risk teen lived in a remote area of Canada (Newfoundland). We were able to contact RCMP in this area who conducted a mental wellness check, and this teen is now in good hands. This is our first incident where an intervention was spawned from a TikTok.
Teen was contacted by a friend via social media who admitted to taking a number of pills in a clear attempt to take their life by suicide, and was now heading to a park. We were able to convince this teen, with their mother, to immediately connect with the police who located the suicidal teen and transported them to the hospital by ambulance.
Contacted by a student who heard us speak at their high school four years prior. A friend of theirs in Ontario was expressing significant suicidal ideations via direct messages on social media. This young adult and their teen sibling teamed up together to help this friend as best they could and connected with The White Hatter for further advice. As a result, these two with the help of their parents took our advice and connected with their police department in BC, which then connected with law enforcement in Ontario. As a result of their action, this friend is in a much better place today. Both siblings were awarded the White Hatter Medallion for the up-stander actions they took to help another person who was experiencing a mental wellness crisis.
Teen approached their father who then connected with us looking for advice. Turns out a friend was talking about taking their life in a group chat, and none of the other teens wanted to bring this to the attention of an adult for fear of losing the trust of their suicidal friend. This teen up-stander who had heard us speak decided to connect with her father, who then connected with us looking for advice. As a result, the teen who was experiencing suicidal ideations is now in good hands. Father who connected with us sent this message in an email, “Thank you so much for the help and your words. [Teen] was feeling much better by the end of the conversation.”
A teen in British Columbia whose online friend in New Brunswick threatened suicide connected with us looking for guidance. Attempted to contact local police, who did not help, so they took it upon themselves to connect with the RCMP in New Brunswick at which time a mental wellness check took place with the RCMP. All went well and the mother of the friend was informed and taking care of the teen.
High school teen upstander who heard us speak at their school over a year ago, reached out to us for help and guidance. An online friend, from another province, posted publicly that they were going to take their life by the end of the day. As a result, we were able to locate the province, community, and real name of this suicidal young person, and helped the teen upstander in notifying the police in that jurisdiction who then conducted an emergency mental wellness intervention.
Student called for guidance regarding their underage 15-year-old friend who had been recruited by a sugar daddy, and that teen also had a burner phone to connect with that person where the conversation was becoming predatory.
We were contacted by three teens about a good friend who was in a serious suicidal mental health crisis needing immediate help. These teens were extremely frightened to contact the police for help, because they stated that although they were born and raised in the USA, they were very concerned with the fact that if the police attended, their parents who had immigrated into the United States without proper paperwork, would be arrested and deported back to Mexico. We convinced them to put her dad on the phone, and after having the student, he understood the emergency of the situation, and he BRAVELY called the police who attended to conduct a successful mental health intervention, knowing the possible immigration consequences he faced in doing.
Student brought to our attention a threat seen through a post about an active threat at another school.
