Two Contra Costa County schools will be the first in the Bay Area to launch a new app aimed at preventing harm—be it violence, bullying, self-harm or other threatening behavior.
The Say Something anonymous reporting system, created by national violence prevention program Sandy Hook Promise, works with local law enforcement agencies to allow students to send anonymous and confidential tips via email, phone or app. According to Sandy Hook Promise, in 80% of school shootings the gunman either told someone about their plan or showed some sort of warning sign.
The Martinez Unified and Brentwood Union School Districts will be launching the app first, with six other Bay Area districts taking the app live this year.
“We know that our students hear things in conversation and see things online that we don’t see,” said Brentwood Union School District Superintendent Dana Eaton. “Ideally, we’d love them to report that to a trusted adult on campus but that may not be possible, or they may not be willing to do that, so we want to give them another avenue to report that to try to prevent students from harming themselves or others.”
The other districts preparing to launch the app are the Contra Costa County Office of Education, Acalanes Union High School District, San Francisco Unified, Walnut Creek School District, East Side Union and Santa Clara Unified. The app will cost the districts nothing.
