Reports of violence and self-harm in Colorado schools reach peak numbers
Safet2Tell Colorado report shows spike in spring semester calls from students.
Reports about bullying, suicide, drug usage, and other forms of self-harm in schools reached record numbers in Colorado during the spring 2024 semester, according to Safe2Tell.
Safe2Tell Colorado is a statewide violence intervention and prevention program that allows students to anonymously report urgent safety concerns and distributes the reports to local law enforcement and school officials.
Students made 3,224 reports in February, 3,188 in April, and 3,053 in May — which are the three highest report months ever at Safe2Tell.
The top complaints students made recently included: school complaints, suicide threats, and bullying. But categories like drugs, vaping, self harm, and school threats are close behind, according to Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Last week, Weiser announced a $20 million initiative in grants to promote mental health and support for students through school-community partnerships.
Colorado’s multi-million dollar settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs, Inc., will help fund the initiative, according to the Attorney General’s office.
Just under 4% of all the reports made to Safe2Tell this year were false, meaning that most students report with genuine concern for themselves or other students.
“The data tells us how much our kids are hurting,” Weiser said in a statement.
“As we head into June, we want to remind all students that you are not alone, and Safe2Tell is available during the summer months. If you have an urgent safety concern, you can tell us anonymously, any time, any day,” said Safe2Tell Director Stacey Jenkins.
Individuals can call 1-877-542-7233 from anywhere, at any time, to make a report. They can also be made at Safe2Tell.org, by texting S2TCO to 738477, or through the Safe2Tell mobile app.