Trained Courage2Report analysts interview students and concerned citizens and enter the information into a centralized database. The analyst will immediately disseminate the information to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction and the local school district. Local officials can conduct a joint investigation or handle the concern separately depending on local protocols. Some communities prefer to bring together their risk assessment team to conduct a collaborative investigation.
Local officials are not required to call back the Courage2Report staff. However, school officials and law enforcement officers are strongly encouraged to report their actions and outcomes. This can be done by logging into P3, reviewing the tip, acknowledging the receipt of the tip, and recording their findings under the Disposition Tab. A Courage2Report analyst will contact the local officials in 30 days for a follow-up survey.
Students are empowered with a confidential means to report school violence. Based on research from the U.S. Secret Service, in 81% of school shootings the attackers told other students about their plans beforehand. When agencies collaborate on school violence, they can identify youth at risk and assess the needs of the youth. Establishing a resource for students to report threats and school safety concerns confidentially will encourage youth to come forward with life-saving information that students may have otherwise kept to themselves.
In the past, on average, the school violence hotline heard from nearly 1,000 parents, school personnel, students, relatives, neighbors, concerned citizens, or people who wished to remain anonymous each year.
Nationwide, anonymous and confidential reporting has proved useful to school officials and law enforcement agencies in preventing school violence.