Students made the highest number of reports in the history of Safe2Tell last school year

Colorado students reported record numbers of concerns about suicide, bullying and problems with schools and home life last school year.

Safe2Tell saw 28,218 reports for the 2023-2024 school year, the highest ever in the history of the anonymous reporting system. That is an increase of 23 percent compared to the previous year.

“The increase in reports reflects both the increasing challenges youth face and the commitment of Safe2Tell trainers and ambassadors to raising awareness throughout Colorado,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “Today’s students need support more than ever, and I’m grateful that Safe2Tell provides a trusted, accessible platform where they can voice their concerns and help make our schools safer for everyone.”

At the same time the monthly report for October showed a 26 percent drop in reports compared to record-breaking September.

Students and others can contact Safe2Tell to make anonymous reports to local law enforcement and school officials. It is not an emergency response unit or a mental health provider, although officials can refer students and families to support services.

For the first time ever, school complaints were the most reported category in Safe2Tell’s history last school year. That was followed by suicide, bullying, drugs and school threats.

School complaints are a broad category that includes issues within a school, such as conflict between students, staff and the community, or school safety. The report recommends replacing the broad category of school complaints with three new categories: complaints related to school staff, complaints about buildings and policy-related safety issues.

“These categories sharpen our focus on specific safety issues, allowing school districts and law enforcement agencies to better support children and communities across Colorado,” said Safe2Tell Director Stacey Jenkins. “This approach ultimately creates safer schools, where students feel their concerns are understood and addressed appropriately.”

For people who self-reported, bullying was by far the top category.

False reports made up 3.7 percent of all reports submitted to the program this year. False reports are defined as reports that contain untrue information and are submitted with the intent to harm, injure or harass another person. That number has gradually increased over the years.

Example stories

The report highlights a number of examples of how the system has helped students. Last September, someone reported that a student said he was struggling with his mental health and wanted to be hospitalized. Local teams conducted a welfare check and spoke to the student’s parent. The hospital admitted the student and local teams conducted a suicide assessment. As a result, the student now has a safety plan.

In January, someone reported that a student was waving a knife at other students. Local teams investigated and the school employee found a weapon on the student. Disciplinary action was taken at school.

In April, someone reported that a student was blackmailing a classmate and sending inappropriate photos of that classmate to his classmates. The school teams investigated spoke with the student and their parents, took disciplinary action, facilitated a restorative conversation with the student and arranged counseling for them.

The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the system, such as increasing the number of teacher training courses offered, including an asynchronous course designed for teachers, and starting routine audits of the data starting next school year.