Since the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, the incidence of mass and school shootings has continued to rise. Sadly, the recent tragic events that occurred in Lewiston have only strengthened my resolve that our students deserve to feel safe at school and in public spaces in their communities. I know of one program and tool that is available to all Maine schools to help prevent school violence, and it is free.
Last year, I met with Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, urging him to consider implementing a statewide anonymous reporting system similar to the Safe2Say program that Pennsylvania has implemented. In a May TV news interview, the Pennsylvania attorney general said he could say with confidence that they had “absolutely stopped the violence.” In fact, last year in Pennsylvania, there were more than 25,000 tips logged with the system.
Attendees hold candles and sign “I love you” at the end of a vigil on Nov. 1 at Winthrop High School for victims of the mass shooting in Lewiston. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
As Brunswick school superintendent, my students deserve to feel safe and supported on our campuses every day. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is my top priority – and requires a proactive approach to violence prevention.
That is why I implemented the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System and the Say Something program. The Say Something program is a research-based violence prevention program offered by Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization. It teaches the warning signs of potential violence or self-harm and provides students and staff with secure ways to share safety concerns through a mobile app, website or phone call.
Six other Maine school districts are now using the Say Something prevention program.
Say Something empowers young people to recognize the warning signs of someone who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others and how to say something to a trusted adult to get help. This prevention program is easy to implement and offered at no cost to schools and youth-serving organizations.
As the only organization dedicated to teaching school communities how to spot warning signs of violence and how to speak up to get help, Sandy Hook Promise works with experts in the fields of K-12 education, school safety, child psychology, and threat assessment to continually update and refine their programs.
How does the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System work? Students and staff can submit a tip about concerning or threatening behaviors through the app, a website or a telephone call, 24/7/365. Every submission goes directly to a trained Say Something crisis counselor. The trained counselor vets the tip, gathers details, and then shares the information and next steps with the school team and law enforcement (as needed). The team steps in to address the threat and provide solutions. In Brunswick, our junior high and high schools trained Say Something response teams that include counselors and administrators.
Programs like Say Something have already been proven to prevent school shootings, suicides and gun threats, as well as help reduce other acts of violence and victimization like bullying and cyberbullying, self-harm like cutting, drug use, racial conflicts and more.
As someone who cares about violence prevention and keeping students and children safe, I believe Say Something can prevent bullying, help those who may be in crisis, and save lives. I’ve now implemented the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System in two Maine school districts, and I can attest that it helps students.
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