An anonymous reporting system is now available to middle- and high-school students in Dallas ISD schools.
The district is launching the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, where students can report instances such as violence, sexual harassment, self-harm, abuse, bullying and depression.
It includes a mobile app, website and telephone hotline, where students can submit tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the National Crisis Center. The app is free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. To call in a tip, dial 844-5-SAYNOW.
This comes weeks after Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and other district staff addressed violence at Woodrow Wilson High School. The district promised to bring in additional security officers and offer more opportunities for students to work through the issue. In the weeks leading up to that community meeting, there had been three separate incidents of violence, including gunshots, that occurred within close proximity to the school.
“Students are grappling with all kinds of challenges since the onset of the pandemic,” Dallas ISD Deputy Superintendent Susana Cordova told The Hub. “We believe it is also our responsibility to help identify behaviors before they escalate into problems, and the See Something model does that, ultimately preventing serious acts from ever occurring.”
After credible tips are reported, the crisis center alerts school-based officials of any that are life-threatening and require intervention right away. If there’s an “imminent threat,” the crisis center will contact the local 911 dispatch to inform law enforcement.
This program is available through the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, which also provides free training to teach students and adults the signs of potential violence and self-harm. Administrators and “Say Something” response teams at local schools have been training since the fall. Middle- and high-school students will learn how to use the system in school starting this week.
Nationally, over 5,000 schools and school districts participate in the reporting program.
