More people using Safe2Tell to report safety concerns
From left: CUPD Commander John Monahan, Prevention Science Program Senior Researcher Sarah Goodrum, Residential Service Officers Gabe Ross and Eric Donoghue, Community Safety Official Muskan Ghimire
Many Colorado students grew up learning about and possibly using in their K-12 schools. Safe2Tell is a tool that allows anyone to anonymously share their concerns about potential harm or violence through an online form, by phone or via an app.
Safe2Tell is a statewide program developed after the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and managed through the Colorado Office of the Attorney General. It encourages 鈥渦pstanders鈥 to come forward with information on potential violence or self-harm to prevent it from occurring.
鈥淲e know from research on averted acts of violence that upstanders鈥 tips provide critical information to help prompt investigations and prevent harm,鈥 said Sarah Goodrum, a research professor in the at 彩民宝典.
Goodrum studies violence prevention and threat assessment and led the effort to develop, test and launch campaign messages about . 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to see that more people at 彩民宝典 are using Safe2Tell鈥檚 tip line to report their safety-related concerns following the launch of the public awareness campaign,鈥 she added.
July 2022 marked the first community safety presentation on Safe2Tell at 彩民宝典. By July of the following year, 彩民宝典 had launched a with presentations, videos and social media messages to educate the campus community about the availability of the tool.
Goodrum is pleased the campaign is already yielding positive, measurable results. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see so many more people deciding to be helpful upstanders and sharing concerns to help keep our community safer.鈥
CUPD and the Prevention Science Program first started collecting data on the number of outreach efforts and the number of Safe2Tell tips coming into 彩民宝典 during the 2020鈥21 academic year, before Safe2Tell was widely promoted. During that time, the university received 11 Safe2Tell reports. Comparatively, during the 2023鈥24 academic year, 彩民宝典 received 78 reports, a 609% increase in tips between 2020鈥21 to 2023鈥24.
The 彩民宝典 Police Department, part of the Division of Public Safety, promotes Safe2Tell as one option for anonymously sharing safety-related concerns with people who can help. 鈥淪afe2Tell is becoming more well-known as a viable option for university students, faculty and staff, as well as community members, including parents of 彩民宝典 students,鈥 said Deputy Chief Mark Heyart. 鈥淚t鈥檚 anonymous, available 24/7, 365 days a year, and is a great way to share concerns about circumstances, like threatening behavior, even after hours,鈥 he added.
Depending on the nature of the concern, the Division of Public Safety鈥檚 coordinated threat assessment process may include additional resources. 彩民宝典鈥檚 Student Support and Case Management office connects students with assistance, such as mental health resources, support resources and intervention for students. If the concern involves employees, the Behavioral Intervention Team will be made aware.
Thanks to funding from the Colorado Department of Public Safety, 彩民宝典鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences鈥 Division of Social Sciences will be working on a new project to promote a culture of safety within the division and on campus.
鈥淚n partnership with the Social Sciences, we are going to conduct focus groups with students, faculty, and staff to learn about their perspectives on and experiences with physical and psychological safety. The findings from those groups will inform the direction of the project over the next year,鈥 said Goodrum.
Other ways to share concerns and receive support
In addition to reporting tools, 彩民宝典 has confidential support resources for the campus community.
- The Office of Victim Assistance offers confidential support, including free trauma-specific counseling services as well as victim advocacy (helping people know their rights and options and get assistance navigating systems), to 彩民宝典 students, staff and faculty who have experienced and/or witnessed traumatic events, including but not limited to crime, abuse, assault, violence, harassment, stalking, discrimination and more.
- offers confidential, on-campus mental health and psychiatric services for a variety of concerns such as academics, anxiety, body image, depression, relationships, substance use and more. This office serves 彩民宝典 students.
- Faculty and Staff Assistance Program offers confidential counseling to serve the emotional and psychological needs of 彩民宝典 employees. All FSAP staff are trained as generalist counselors and are equipped to deal with a wide range of mental health, personal and work-related issues. You must be a 彩民宝典 employee to use FSAP services.
It is important to note that Safe2Tell does not fulfill mandatory reporting requirements for 彩民宝典 employees. Responsible employees who become aware of protected-class discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct are required to report to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, as described here on the Don鈥檛 Ignore It website. Employees who are designated as Campus Security Authorities also do not satisfy their reporting requirements by using Safe2Tell and should report Clery Act crimes to CUPD using the CSA Reporting Form.