Giving students a trusted, anonymous way to flag warning signs has stopped planned attacks and countless suicides — peers often know first.
The situation, the move, the outcome.
Sandy Hook Promise's Say Something Anonymous Reporting System lets students report concerns 24/7 to trained crisis counselors, who route serious situations to school officials and police. Since 2018 it has fielded nearly 395,000 tips and, by strict criteria, helped stop at least 19 credible planned school attacks, while averting thousands of suicides and acts of self-harm. The most common tips are about bullying, drug use, harassment and self-harm — the things peers notice before adults do.
Why it matters beyond one family.
The system works because young people frequently see the warning signs first but lack a safe, low-stakes way to speak up. An anonymous, always-staffed channel removes the fear of being labeled a snitch.
How to apply it.
- Ask whether your school has an anonymous reporting system, and how it's staffed.
- Teach teens that reporting a worrying sign is protecting a friend, not betraying them.
- Make clear at home that they can always bring concerns to you.
Concrete next steps.
- Encourage your district to adopt a vetted anonymous reporting system.
- Talk through what kinds of warning signs are worth reporting.
- Pair school systems with open family communication and 988.
Read it for yourself.
- Sandy Hook Promise — Say Something Anonymous Reporting System sandyhookpromise.org ↗
- NBC Connecticut — tip system has fielded nearly 400,000 reports nbcconnecticut.com ↗
- ABC News — anonymous tip system since Sandy Hook abcnews.com ↗
If your teen is in crisis: call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7) or text HOME to 741741. For immediate danger, call 911.