Implementing a School Tip Line? New Research Provides a Blueprint

• NCJ Number: 254780
• Date Published: June 2020
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2017-CK-BX-0004
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Award: Assessment of National and State Tip Line Technology as a Strategy for Identifying Threats to School Safety

Annotation

This article details a school safety tip line toolkit that provides a blueprint for those who are considering developing a tip line as a means of preventing violence, self-harm, and other disorders in schools.

Abstract

School safety tip lines enable its users to report perceived school-related threats and problems confidentially. An NIJ-supported research team from RTI International created a toolkit to advise school and community stakeholders on how to implement and sustain the operation of school tip lines. This article details how this toolkit provides a blueprint for educators, law enforcement professionals, community leaders, and school safety experts who are considering developing tip lines as a possible approach to preventing violence, self-harm, and other disorders. The team noted that more research is being done to better gauge the impact of tip lines on school safety and to develop tip line plans tailored to various types of school settings. As the researchers pointed out, "Tip lines are promising, but much is still unknown about their effectiveness."