Rdale announces Say Something Anonymous Reporting System

On Thursday, Sept. 14, Rdale students in grades 6-12 began learning how to use the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS), offered by Sandy Hook Promise. The system goes live the same day.

The cabinet sent the following information to all families in the district.

Robbinsdale Area Schools announces partnership with Sandy Hook Promise

Dear Robbinsdale Area Schools Families and Community Members, 

Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported while they are on our campuses every day. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority – and requires a proactive approach to violence prevention. 

That is why we are happy to introduce the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System to Rdale. We will be training our students in grades 6-12 on when and how to use it between Thursday, Sept. 14 and Wednesday, Sept. 20. The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System will go live on Thursday, Sept. 14.

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is designed specifically for use by students and staff in grades 6-12. We want all families in the district to understand we are making the tool available to students in the grades more likely to observe concerning behavior. Students in earlier grades, as well as staff, family or community members, can contact their school principal or another trusted adult if they wish to report concerns. 

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System 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.  

Simply put, this program will further enhance the student protections we already have in place. 

More than 5,000 schools nationwide have launched this program to date. Administrators and school staff report that their students already feel safer – and lives have already been saved. 

We have included information about what the app is, how students can use it, and why we are adopting it in our schools below.  

Say Something Anonymous Reporting System FAQ 

What is the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System? 

It is an age-appropriate, evidence-informed program that trains youth and adults to recognize warning signs and threats of potential violence and to tell a trusted adult or use the anonymous reporting system via app, website, or telephone hotline. This empowers students, parents, staff, and community members to securely share safety concerns, helping school administrators and law enforcement members to prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm, and other dangerous behaviors. 

Rdale has been working with Sandy Hook Promise as we launch this program in our schools. Every district school with grades 6-12 will adopt this program. 

How does the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System work? 

Students and staff can submit a tip about concerning or threatening behaviors through the app, website, or a telephone call, 24/7/365. Every submission goes directly to a trained crisis counselor. The trained counselor vets the tip, gathers details, 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. Every Rdale school team has trained Say Something response staff that includes social workers, counselors, and administrators. 

Say Something is proven to prevent school shootings, suicides, and gun threats, as well as help reduce other acts of violence and victimization like bullying/cyberbullying, self-harm like cutting, drug use, racial conflicts, and more. 

How does the system work? 

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System can be used to report threatening or harmful behavior, harassment, and more. For example, imagine that a student, Thomas, is worried about a friend, Mary, who has been cutting herself.  Thomas isn’t sure who he should tell and is afraid of being labeled a "snitch" or, worse, losing his friend. Thomas can anonymously report the concern through the Say Something Anonymous Reporting app, website or through a phone call. He can even share screenshots of social media posts that he may have seen about this. Highly trained crisis counselors immediately take action to ensure Mary is safe and getting the help and support she needs. 

What happens to the tip if the individual reporting is threatening to hurt themselves? 

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System’s National Crisis Center and local Say Something team members are specifically trained to recognize mental and emotional disturbances and effectively manage crisis situations. Depending on district protocols, psychiatric emergencies may be referred to the appropriate community mental health services. Law enforcement may conduct a welfare check. 

Do I have to use the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System? Does my student? 

Using the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is completely voluntary. 

Who is running this program? 

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is offered at no cost to schools by Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a national nonprofit that was founded and is led by family members whose loved ones were killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012. SHP has trained more than 14 million educators, parents, and students nationwide to recognize the warning signs of potential violence and tell a trusted adult.  

How much are we paying for this program? 

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is provided at no cost by Sandy Hook Promise, thanks to the charitable donations of their national grassroots network and philanthropic partners. 

What about privacy? 

All data from our school community within the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is owned by the district. 

Who can I talk with to get more information? 

Talk to your school’s principal.