Reports to school safety tip line down 60% in November, 57% all school year
Safe2Tell, the state’s anonymous school and student safety tip line, saw a 60% decrease in tip volume in November compared to the same month in 2019.
This reflects a larger trend of decreasing tip volume during the 2020-21 school year as most students have been learning virtually from home. Compared to 2019-20, Safe2Tell has received 57% less tips overall this school year.
The tip line received 1,045 tips in November and 4,019 since the school year started in August.
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Suicide threats were the most common reason for tips this month, resulting in 232 calls, followed by welfare checks with 95 tips and cyberbullying with 63 tips.
Attorney General Phil Weiser said welfare checks, reports that express concern about a peer, appeared in the top three tip reasons monthly since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“While schools are often remote, it remains vital that students and community members look out for the wellbeing of Colorado’s youth,” Weiser said.
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COVID-19’s influence on the tip line wasn’t immediately clear as Safe2Tell saw year-over-year increases and decreases between March and July; however, by August the tip line reported major decreases with a 50% reduction that month.
Safe2Tell is a violence intervention and prevention program for students to anonymously report threats to their own and others’ safety. The program is not an emergency response unit or mental health counseling service.
To make a report, individuals can call 1-877-542-7233, visit Safe2Tell.org or use the Safe2Tell mobile app.