When reporters interviewed former classmates of the 18-year-old boy who killed 21 students and teachers in Uvalde, Texas, last summer, they found that he had been known to make violent remarks about women, told fellow students that he was considering suicide, and was bullied at school.
Similar stories emerged after Parkland; Sandy Hook; Highland Park; and so many others.
As mass violence in American life continues to persist, it has become crucial to understand the warning signs. Communities are responding by empowering themselves to identify and help distressed individuals before they commit violence. Anonymous reporting tip lines are one key part of this nationwide trend.
In this three-part series from Kokomo24/7®, we discuss what a tip line is, what types of schools use tip lines, and why it is necessary to implement a tip line proactively.
Check out Part 1 here.
Check out Part 2 here.
Tip lines are best used as a proactive tool.
Anonymous reporting systems are best used proactively, not reactively.
"Too often, students and staff look back after a violent event and wish they had spoken up or taken concerning comments or behaviors more seriously," writes Justin Heinze, a professor of health at the University of Michigan who studies the efficacy of tip lines.
Tip lines are often created after acts of mass violence, after lives have been lost that could have been saved.
A wave of states considered bills establishing anonymous reporting systems after the 2012 Newtown shooting, which claimed the lives of 28 people. It was only after 17 people were killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting that the federal government passed the STOP School Violence Act, which included funding for tip lines.
Many factors contribute to a lack of proactive violence prevention tactics. The majority of American schools are limited in their violence prevention efforts by a lack of funding. Principals also report that an inconsistent application of prevention policies by staff can inhibit efforts.
Tip lines are best implemented proactively, not reactively. The successful implementation of an anonymous reporting tip line requires a cost-effective solution, a mobile- and web-based solution that students will find easy to use, and an easy-to-use platform that staff be able to engage with in a meaningful way.
It’s well-established that individuals who commit violence show warning signs before they do so. When students display suicidal ideation or openly threaten their classmates, as the Uvalde assailant did, communities need an easily accessible way to alert the proper authorities. Vulnerable, distressed young people need help before they harm themselves or others.
Creating and maintaining an effective anonymous reporting system is not simple, let alone doing so proactively. But the need is clear. Anonymous tip lines are a violence prevention tool which leaders can implement to help better ensure the health and safety of their schools and communities.
Kokomo24/7® Can Help
Kokomo24/7® understands that every school has its own set of unique needs. We can provide your school with a robust yet easy-to-use technology platform that simplifies the complicated work of higher education management. Get the health and safety platform you need to navigate complex and changing circumstances: the same software toolkit used by educational institutions like the second-largest K-12 school district in the country.
Ever since Kokomo24/7® was founded in 2018, we have been a leader in compliance and risk management solutions for all things health and safety. Kokomo24/7® proudly serves schools, communities, and workplaces. Our mission is to deliver highly effective, easy-to-use, and trusted compliance and risk management solutions that bridge the gap between public safety and technology.
Whether you work for a small school, a big-city public district, or any institution in between, we want to hear from you.
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