Colorado students reported more concern for school safety and bullying incidents in February than the month prior, according to the Safe2Tell.

The hotline received 2,854 reports last month — a 12.3% increase from January. Reports of school safety and staff reports led the majority of the reports with 18.6% of all submissions. 

Reports of bullying followed closely with 17.2%, and mental health concerns accounted for 14.9% of all calls, according to report from the statewide program.

Established by the Colorado Assembly in 2017, Safe2Tell Colorado is a harm and violence prevention program that allows students and the community to anonymously report safety concerns. The program then distributes the reports to local law enforcement and school officials.

According to the report, the 2,854 calls led to 1,220 parents notified, 622 counseling referrals and 329 welfare checks. 

“Month after month, Safe2Tell data gives us valuable insight into what students are experiencing in schools across Colorado,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a Tuesday news release. “The increase in reports this month tells us that students continue to rely on Safe2Tell when they see something troubling — and that’s exactly what we want. When students speak up, school teams and communities can step in to help, preventing small problems from escalating into bigger crises.”

Regarding the school safety reports on staff that made up the majority of calls, the category contains any reports about a teacher or staff member, ranging from inappropriate to allegations of a teacher-student relationship. The reports can even mean a teacher is assigning too much homework contributing to a student’s depression and anxiety, a spokesperson from the attorney general’s office told The Denver Gazette.

The bullying and mental health reports — that made up for the second and third most common report types — can range from outright behavior to out-of-school activities.

For example, the monthly report said that one of the claims involved a student creating a social media account to cyberbully students and staff. The account was then shut down.

Another example included a student who made physical contact with another student without their consent several times, leading to the student being placed in counseling. 

Overall reports through the hotline are up this year compared to the same time period last school year.

Between August and February of last school year, Safe2Tell received 18,049 reports. In the same time period this school year, the program has received 20,736 reports.

The 96.3% of reports received during the current school year were determined to be valid, according to Safe2Tell. Misuse reports were at 1.5% and false reports were 2.2%, showing correct usage of the program.

“Each report to Safe2Tell represents a student, parent, or community member who took the time to share a concern,” Stacey Jenkins, director of Safe2Tell, said in the release. “That’s a powerful reminder that everyone has a role to play in creating safer schools and communities. By speaking up, they’re helping adults intervene and support students who may be struggling.”