Safety While Accessing Technology (SWAT)
In 2024, the West Virginia Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 466 which requires each county school board to adopt policies requiring all elementary and secondary schools to provide the Safety While Accessing Technology (SWAT) education program to students in grades three through 12 at least once each school year.
Such policies shall include an option to permit the parent of any child enrolled in any elementary or secondary school in such school division to opt his/her child(ren) out of participating in the SWAT education program.
The SWAT education program shall include instruction on the following topics:
- Safe and responsible use of social networking websites, including Internet chat rooms, email, instant messaging, and other modes of electronic communication.
- The risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet and the importance of privacy protection.
- Copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music, and videos posted or shared online.
- The importance of establishing open communication with responsible adults about any online communications or activities.
- How to recognize, avoid, and report suspicious, potentially dangerous, or illegal online communications or activities, including (A) potential solicitation by sexual predators, (B) unsolicited or deceptive communications, and (C) harassment and cyberbullying.
- Resources and assistance programs available for any child or parent who may have encountered online solicitation by sexual predators or other illegal online communications or activities, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline.
The SWAT Education Toolkit, sample parent letter, passive parental consent form, and related resources are intended for use by West Virginia schools.
Rationale
Students today face widespread and rapidly escalating online risks. A 2025 national study showed 58% of teens have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime and 33% in just the past 30 days. At the same time, online exploitation is accelerating dramatically, as seen in the surge in online enticement cases and the jump in AI‑related child exploitation reports, with 20.5 million CyberTipline reports filed in 2024, including nearly 63 million files of child sexual exploitation material.
Prevention Education
Prevention education is essential for supporting students’ online safety because it equips them with the knowledge and skills to recognize, avoid, and respond to potential digital risks before harm occurs. As students increasingly navigate social media, gaming platforms, and online communication, they face threats such as cyberbullying, scams, privacy breaches, and inappropriate contact. By teaching them how to identify red flags, protect personal information, and practice responsible digital behavior, prevention education empowers students to make safer choices and fosters their growth as confident digital citizens. It also encourages help‑seeking and reporting, strengthens school–family partnerships, and proactively reduces the emotional, academic, and social consequences of unsafe online interactions. This proactive approach builds a safer, more supportive digital environment for all learners.
FAQs
Each county should determine which professional school staff members are best suited to implement the SWAT education program. Because the program may include sensitive topics, counties should ensure that the selected staff are well prepared to address student questions and concerns with accuracy, confidence, and sensitivity.
W. Va. Code §18-2-44 requires that counties provide an option to permit the parent, guardian, or custodian of any child enrolled in any elementary or secondary school in the district to opt his or her child out of participating in the SWAT education program. To address this requirement, a sample opt-out form can be found in this toolkit.
If parents or guardians opt their child out of the SWAT education program, the school is still required to provide the internet‑safety education that is tied to federal E‑Rate funding. This means the student will still receive the basic lessons needed to meet those federal requirements.
Completion of the SWAT education program will be tracked in WVEIS. When students complete the lessons individually, WVEIS will automatically record their completion. If the lessons are completed by a group of students (e.g., in a classroom setting), each student’s completion will need to be entered manually into WVEIS.