DENVER – Reports to Colorado’s Safe2Tell program decreased last month compared to December, but attorney general Phil Weiser said reports of bullying and drugs are rising back as students continue to adjust to in-person learning once again.
In January, the program received 1,582 reports, a 35% decrease in volume when compared to December 2021. To date for the 2021-22 school year, Safe2Tell has received 11,146 reports, according to Emily Wenger, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
The report indicates suicide threats accounted for 255 reports, while bullying accounted for 140, and drugs made up 106 reports, ranking them among the top categories of reports in January.
“As students are still adjusting to in-person classes during the pandemic, we are seeing bullying and drug reports rising back to the top of our report categories,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “Studies show that bystanders can stop bullying, so we encourage students to stand up for one another if they can safely do so, tell a trusted adult, or submit an anonymous report to Safe2Tell.”
False reports to the program accounted for 1.8% of all reports submitted to Safe2Tell.
To make a report, individuals can call 1-877-542-7233 from anywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reports also can be made at Safe2Tell.org or through the Safe2Tell mobile app which is available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.