Citing a desire to improve the overall safety and well-being of students, North Penn School District has announced the launch of an anonymous reporting system called Safe2Say Something (S2SS).
The system, which launched in schools statewide on Monday, was created by Act 44 of 2018, and seeks to educate students, teachers and school administrators on how to recognize the warning signs and signals of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others. Specifically, the program educates participants to recognize the signs and signals of at-risk behaviors—especially on social media—as well as reporting the behavior anonymously through the app, website or crisis hotline.
“Our students often are aware of the problems their peers are facing, so we must empower them to know the danger signs and give them the tools to help each other with the assistance of trained and caring adults,” said Chris Doerr, coordinator of emergency management and safe schools for North Penn School District. “As you know, most conversations are taking place on social media, therefore it is critical that we teach our students to look out for one another as these digital conversations are taking place. S2SS teaches them what to look for in text, video and photos while empowering them to act quickly to help a fellow student.”
The release from the school district states that students in grades seven through 12 will learn more about the program in mid-February, including how to report anonymously and the consequences of filing false reports. A full brochure outlining the S2SS program can be found by clicking here.
The statewide initiative comes courtesy of the Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), which is a national non-profit organization. The release states that SHP’s programs are in all 50 states, with more than 10,000 schools and 5.5 million students and adults trained. The non-profit also provides the funding to launch and sustain the program, meaning there is no cost for the school district.
“We anticipate that S2SS will help prevent school violence, reduce bullying and help intervene upon drug use, conflicts, and other school safety concerns,” said Doerr.
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