Can Anonymous Reporting Systems Prevent School Violence?

With 76 school shootings reported across the United States this year alone, the upward trend of the past decade is troubling. More than half of these incidents occurred on K-12 school grounds, resulting in 36 deaths and 103 injuries. To date, efforts to prevent school shootings have primarily focused on "target hardening"—such as active shooter drills, metal detectors, and increased police presence—especially in schools serving predominantly low-income and minority students. However, high-profile tragedies like the 2022 Uvalde, Texas, school shooting have raised serious questions about the effectiveness of such measures. Another approach, anonymous reporting systems (ARSs), has gained traction across the country. These systems allow individuals—whether parents, teachers, or students—to report potential threats or safety concerns without revealing their identity and have shown promise in some areas.

What Are ARSs, and Why Are They Important?

Since 2019, at least a dozen U.S. states have implemented “tip lines” through phone, text, websites, or apps, enabling students, parents, and staff to report safety concerns anonymously. For example:

• Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something. Launched by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, this program allows anonymous reporting of a range of security concerns, including potential school shootings, suicide risk, and bullying. In its first six months, the program received 607 threat reports.
• Oregon’s SafeOregon tip line. Since its launch in 2016, the SafeOregon tip line has collected more than 3,300 tips in the 2023-2024 academic year alone, with 40% of tips coming from students. While bullying and harassment remain the top concerns reported, hundreds of tips related to threats of school violence and suicide are also received annually.
• Colorado’s Safe2Tell program. One of the longest-running programs of its kind in the United States, Safe2Tell was launched over two decades ago in response to the Columbine shootings. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the program received thousands of tips related to bullying, suicide threats, drug use, and complaints about school conditions.

Do ARSs Work for All Students?

While ARSs are a powerful tool for addressing school violence, they are not a cure-all. Students are often in a position to recognize potential dangers before anyone else, but fear of retaliation and the informal “code of silence” among peers can prevent them from speaking up. Despite the popularity of ARS programs with school staff and parents, student reluctance to report concerns can undermine their effectiveness.

A recent study published in the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management explored ARS availability and its link to student reporting. Researchers from the University of Virginia examined data from 106,865 students across 282 Virginia high schools and uncovered a surprising finding: the mere presence of an ARS did not increase students’ willingness to report threats. Instead, reporting behaviors were strongly influenced by students’ relationships with teachers and the overall school climate.

Key findings from the study include:

• Supportive relationships matter. Students who felt their teachers cared about them were more likely to report concerns.
• Fair discipline counts. Schools with clear, consistently enforced rules fostered higher levels of trust and reporting.
• Mistrust of authority lingers. Black students and students from economically disadvantaged areas were less likely to report threats, potentially reflecting broader societal issues with authority figures.
• School climate matters. Schools with high levels of violence and understaffing were less likely to benefit from ARSs, as students in these environments often felt discouraged about potential solutions.

Beyond Threats: Other Uses for ARSs

Another important issue raised by the study is the type of tip that typically results in a formal threat assessment. Most tips involve concerns such as bullying, mental health issues, or suicidality rather than direct threats of mass violence. Whether reports of bullying or suicidal behavior provoke effective intervention often depends on the availability of mental health resources, which are frequently lacking in understaffed or under-resourced schools.

Where Do We Go Next?

Although ARSs can help address school violence, they are insufficient on their own to prevent safety issues. Schools must go beyond anonymous reporting systems to build a culture of trust and safety, particularly in underserved areas. Key steps include:

• Strengthening student-teacher relationships. When students feel cared for, they are more likely to speak up about concerns.
• Ensuring fair discipline policies. Clear and consistently enforced rules help build trust and foster a sense of safety.
• Educating students about ARSs. Some students may not know how to use these systems or may fear retaliation despite anonymity.
• Addressing broader safety concerns. Research shows that measures like metal detectors, active shooter drills, and security cameras do not necessarily make students feel safer—and can sometimes have the opposite effect.

An ARS is a valuable tool, but it is not a stand-alone solution. Educators and policymakers must prioritize fostering positive relationships, promoting fairness, and addressing students’ broader needs. A safe school is not just one with a tip line; it is a place where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to speak up.