Anonymous Reporting Explained: What types of schools use tip lines?

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.

All types of schools implement tip lines. 

For many government leaders and education administrators, implementing violence prevention systems is a top strategic priority.

Understanding the warning signs of school violence has emerged in recent decades as an area for improvement, the focus of institutions like the US Department of Justice and the American Counseling Association. In 2022, there were 50 school shootings, according to the publication Education Week.

Anonymous reporting tip lines are a key violence prevention tool. North Carolina’s education department calls information received through tip lines a “crucial component” of violence prevention efforts. Illinois’ state government calls on schools to opt into a reporting program, saying that such programs encourage students to “seek help before harm."

While tip lines are slightly more common among large schools and schools with high funding, they have become prevalent at all levels, in schools of all sizes, and in communities with high funding and low funding alike.

The Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety is a yearly report of the security measures in use in American public schools. Questionnaires are sent to a nationally representative sample of school principals.

As these charts show, while some types of schools move slightly quicker to adopt a tip line, these systems are common across the board.

At all grades, sizes, locales, and economic levels, the majority of schools collect community tips.

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. Kokomo 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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