Safe2Tell, the anonymous reporting service for issues such as suicide and cyberbullying had a record number of reports in Colorado for the 2023-2024 school year, reaching a total of 28,218 reports from Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.
According to a news release from the Colorado Attorney General’s office, the number of reports increased by 25% from last year. In July alone, the service took 738 reports, a 50% increase from July 2023, and a 17.5% increase from June this year.
“Colorado’s students and communities have demonstrated constant vigilance, as evidenced by the substantial increase in Safe2Tell reports that the program received this school year,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “It’s never been harder to be a young person, and we must remain committed to our children’s safety, mental health and well-being.”
In July, the most common issues reported were suicide with 130 reports, cyberbullying with 38 reports, and welfare checks with 36 reports.
“This increase in reports reflects a collective commitment to creating a safer environment for every student,” explained Safe2Tell Director Stacey Jenkins. “We look forward to building on this progress in the upcoming school year.”
Safe2Tell received 130 duplicate reports in July, which stem from issues that have already been reported. According to the monthly report from July, this indicates a “healthy culture of reporting safety concerns in a community.” This shows a 225% increase of duplicate reports from June.
False reports made up 3.7% of all reports made during the school year. False reports are defined as reports made that contain untrue information submitted to harm others.
A graph in July’s report showed that the 2023-2024 school year consistently had higher report volumes per month than the 2022-2023 school year. Reports this year were highest in February and April. The report also showed that Tuesday is the peak reporting day, and 1 p.m. is the peak reporting time.
Safe2Tell is not an emergency service or mental health counseling service, but is instead a pathway for information gained through anonymous reports, which are distributed to law enforcement agencies and school officials.
Reports can be made by calling 1-877-542-7233 at any time, or by making a report online at Safe2Tell.org, by texting S2TCO to 738477, or via the mobile app.
