Say Something Anonymous Reporting System

What is the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System?

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) has been available for use for SFUSD 6th-12th grade students in middle, K-8, and high schools since 2022. Students at schools that have launched the program are able to report any type of serious concerns about students who may be struggling or potentially violent.

How does it work for students?

“Tipsters” can send reports on 35 different concerns, from school threats they’ve seen or overheard, to personal crises including sexual harassment, self-harm, abuse, bullying, and depression.

The system includes a mobile app, website, and telephone hotline for users to submit tips 24/7/365 to the National Crisis Center for analysis and response. 

When credible tips are received, the Crisis Center notifies the school-based representatives of those that are life-threatening and require immediate intervention. In cases of imminent threat, the Crisis Center contacts the local 9-1-1 dispatch. This enables school administrators and public safety officials work together to effectively prevent shootings, suicide, bullying, self-harm and other forms of violence and victimization. 

How is SFUSD training schools?

When a school site initially implements the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS), they must train the entire student body to use the system. Each subsequent year, sites must train the incoming students to use the system.  

The student training consists of an online, interactive module, that is run by an adult on campus - usually in Advisory or another identified class - where they are not only shown how to report a tip using the online system, but also how to report in person when they are concerned about themselves or a peer.  

The 2022-2023 school year is the first year sites serving 6th-12th grade students - K-8, Middle School and High Schools - began training their students to use the SS-ARS. The data below shows the student site training date as of April 27, 2023.

Overall Student Training Data

Schools Not Trained	18	43%
Schools Trained	25	60%
Total	42

Student Training Data by Grade Level

	K-8	Middle School	High School
Percent Trained	100% (8/8)	46% (6/13)	52% (11/21)

About Say Something Anonymous Reporting System

The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is the only anonymous system and National Crisis Center exclusively serving schools. Critical to its proven success is the Say Something training that teaches youth and adults the warning signs of potential violence and self-harm. It is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), which provides the program and training at no cost to districts. More than 5,000 schools and school districts nationwide are participating in the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, protecting more than 2 million students and educators.