Sandy Hook Promise’s anonymous tip service, See Something, Say Something, lets students report unsafe behavior at school. This information is passed on to the administrators who verify and take action. Technically started last year, it has been fully implemented this school year.
This program is offered as part of a nation-wide campaign of reducing dangerous behavior. According to the FUSD website, this system is supposed to be effective because students know the issues that occur around them. Sandy Hook’s website assures that though tips are anonymous, if something is fabricated, investigation can be done to find the reporter. Submitting false reports may lead to criminal charges. Tips at school don’t have an investigative verification process but rely on a simple look to see if it seems legitimate. Assistant principal Mr. Peterson said, “Anytime a tip comes through, it’s immediately sent to our school-wide team. Then we’ll pretty much, depending on what it says, go from there.”
Students will benefit from this system because it removes the fear of being known for reporting something. Cynthia Jimenez (11) said, “Especially with cyberbullying, I feel like people are scared in a way. It eliminates the scariness of reporting something wrong.” Maintaining status is very important at high school. Unfortunately, that also means that it can lead to important things going unreported.
Sandy Hook Promise is an anonymous tip system started after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school (Photo Credit: Sandy Hook Promise).
Jared Reyes (10) said, “I believe it could have a good benefit in the school if people actually used it.” When asked about possible usage of the system, Reyes said, “Honestly no, I don’t know, I just don’t feel like it.”
Assistant principals understand the issue of students not giving up information on purpose. Mr. Peterson said, “If students know that their identity is going to be revealed when it comes to a sensitive topic, they’re hesitant to report important information.” He also said, “Any kind of concern you have, no matter how minor, when it involves student safety or if someone says something that might be a little concerning, I would just err on the side of caution and report it ”
According to Sandy Hook Promise, the system helped prevent a school shooting in the city of Atherton near Redwood City. A student in the Sequoia Union High School District saw a concerning post on Instagram and reported it. Though there is some controversy about what exactly the tip was on, the system worked in the end. The controversy is interesting because it shows a different side of Sandy Hook Promise. On the website, it was claimed that the situation was far worse than it actually was. The website said, “The posts included images of ammunition and a mapped-out plan for attacking the school. Access to a weapon was confirmed by officials.” This is partially true because there were images of ammunition but no mapped-out plan. What does it say about the company if they exaggerate information to induce fear? The Atherton police department had nothing to say about access to a gun but confirmed that no gun was recovered.
Eagle Era 
Leave a comment