School & Law Enforcement FAQ
How Courage2Report works for schools and law enforcement
How does the Courage2Report program work?
Trained Courage2Report analysts interview students and concerned citizens and enter the information into a centralized system. The analyst immediately disseminates the information to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction and the local school district. Local officials can conduct a joint investigation or handle the concern separately, depending on local protocols. Some communities prefer to bring together their risk assessment team to conduct a collaborative investigation.
Do local officials follow up with Courage2Report analysts?
Local officials are not required to call Courage2Report staff. However, school officials and law enforcement officers are strongly encouraged to report their actions and outcomes. This can be done by signing in to the Courage2Report portal for schools and law enforcement, opening the tip, acknowledging receipt, and recording their findings on the Disposition tab. A Courage2Report analyst will contact the local officials in 30 days for a follow-up survey.
How does Courage2Report help prevent school violence?
Students are empowered with a confidential means to report school violence. Based on research from the U.S. Secret Service, in 81% of school shootings the attackers told other students about their plans beforehand. When agencies collaborate on school violence, they can identify youth at risk and assess the needs of the youth. Establishing a resource for students to report threats and school safety concerns confidentially encourages youth to come forward with life-saving information they may have otherwise kept to themselves.
How successful has the program been in preventing school violence?
On average, the program has heard from nearly 1,000 parents, school personnel, students, relatives, neighbors, concerned citizens, and people who wished to remain anonymous each year.
Nationwide, anonymous and confidential reporting has proved useful to school officials and law enforcement agencies in preventing school violence.