OBSERVER Staff Report

Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES has partnered with Sandy Hook Promise to bring its Anonymous Reporting System to the region.

The “Say Something” program will be introduced at all eight BOCES educational sites and the majority of its component school districts starting this school year.

The program is a preventative step toward\ decreasing violence and is designed to teach students in grades 6-12 the life-long skills that will help them identify at-risk individuals in school and within the community.

“All of us at Sandy Hook Promise are honored to be working with E2CCB and its component school districts to roll out the Say Something-ARS. Rollouts like this on such a grand scale are so inspiring and exactly what communities need,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, who lost her first-grade son Dylan at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “Our children should never have to suffer from violence or self-harm, and with this program and preventative measures, we can have an impact, stop violence before it happens and ultimately save lives.”

Gun violence has affected children and teens the most in recent years, especially in urban communities. Say Something-ARS teaches youth and adults how to prevent school violence, shootings, and other harmful acts by identifying at-risk behaviors and, in turn, telling a trusted adult, using an anonymous reporting system, or calling 911 to get help. The new anonymous reporting system provides interactive training, educational tools, and in-school awareness materials. It also encourages the creation of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Clubs.

“In-depth training of students, school faculty, and key stakeholders on how to identify warning signs coupled with accessible ways for individuals to notify the appropriate people will go a long way toward ensuring the safety of our school communities. It is the only anonymous reporting system in the U.S. that provides training along with a mobile app, website, and hotline – exclusively for schools,” said David O’Rourke, Ph.D., District Superintendent.

The rollout of the Say Something-ARS is the first BOCES-led initiative of this scale in New York state. E2CCB plans to have the program fully implemented no later than the fall of 2023.

The program also leverages technology that is relevant to students, staff, and community members of all ages. Anonymous tips can be reported using a mobile app, a website, and a 24/7 crisis hotline exclusively for schools. Notably, the hotline is supported by a national crisis center that employs a team of highly-skilled, multilingual crisis counselors trained in suicide and crisis management who receive and triage tips.

The program has been made possible due to federal grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Program as well as Sandy Hook Promise donor funding. Since the inception of the grant, E2CCB has developed strong partnerships with local law enforcement agencies as well as both Chautauqua and Erie County Sheriff’s Offices.

“We believe that a holistic ARS program, when combined with an educational component relevant to the warning signs of potential violence or self-harm, and the availability of means to safely report concerns are essential elements of our endeavor to interrupt pathways to intended violence. These initiatives will help provide people, not just in our schools, but in our communities, with a means of reporting warning signs they may observe in an individual,” said Sheriff John Garcia of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

“Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System is a great tool to assist in keeping our schools safe,” said Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone. “This system provides the opportunity to those who may be hesitant to share about potential threats.”

As part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP grant, E2CCB has also been able to provide comprehensive safety and threat assessment training. Teachers, educators, and administrators are taught how to assess and act on all threats of violence or self-harm, taking action and getting students help before any escalations.