10 ‘See Something, Say Something’ Success Stories
The phrase “See Something, Say Something” has proven successful time and again in stopping tragic situations, particularly school shooting threats.
Whether through an anonymous tip line or a courageous student, teacher or family member speaking up, the mantra, “See something, say something” has proven to thwart potential school violence.
One study of averted school shootings found that more than half (29 out of 51) of the active shooter plots studied were discovered by the shooters’ peers. Additionally, perpetrators often directly told someone of their plans or threats. In many cases, the perpetrators talked about their plans on social media.
Although the mantra can be applied to many different situations, including suicidal threats, bullying, child abuse or drug use, among others, a heightened awareness of school violence has led to an increase in threat-related tips.
For instance, Safe2Tell Colorado, an anonymous tip line established following the Columbine shooting, received 16,000 tips during the 2017-2018 school year — a 74% increase from the 2016-2017 school year.
“We tend to see an increase in tips after incidents of school violence either in our state or around the country,” said Annie Skinner, director of communications for the Colorado Attorney General’s office. “We did see a substantial increase in tips after the Parkland shooting.”
Check out this slideshow to see 10 examples where seeing something and saying something likely saved lives.
There’s no way of knowing for sure if these attacks would have been carried out if a tip hadn’t been given, but are we willing to take that chance? Another popular phrase, “Better safe than sorry,” certainly applies here.
About the Author
Amy Rock, Senior Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Senior Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
