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.

Dallas ISD has been working with Sandy Hook Promise as we launch this program in our schools. Every public school with grades 6-12 will adopt this program by the end of the year.

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 school team will have a 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.

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.

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.

Using the Say Something  Anonymous Reporting System is completely voluntary.

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.

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.

Dallas ISD has been working with our school board’s legal team to ensure that all key privacy standards are maintained. All data from our school community within the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is owned by the district.