The See Something Say Something campaign from Sandy Hook Promise is an easily accessible, discreet, and safe way to report violence and possible threats within your community and school. It was founded by the parents of the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Many schools use this as an anonymous way for students to report any suspicious activity or unsafe behavior within their school. But here at FVHS, we do things a little differently. Our equivalent to the SSSS campaign is an outdated hotline number where students must call a number and talk to an actual person about what they think might be a threat.

Many complications come with this. Students are not likely to report anything due to the fact that it’s not an anonymous tip. They also don’t want to have to call and talk on the phone with someone. Reporting an incident within the SSSS program is much easier and more accessible. So that brings up the question, why does Wake County not modernize our process in order to create a safe environment?

There are no clear reasons why our school participates in this outdated system, but there are quite a few reasons why our school should take advantage of the See Something Say Something program. The first reason is that it provides anonymity to students by allowing them to report suspicious activity without leaving their name or contact information, keeping their identity safe. This will make students more likely to report an incident without the fear of being exposed. It’s also a much more user-friendly source to use. You can report anything online, on the phone, through text, and basically any way you can think of. The tip line that our school currently uses only offers one way of reporting, calling someone on the phone, which a lot of teenagers aren’t comfortable with.

Enabling the option for students here at FVHS to use the SSSS reporting system not only provides students with a sense of security but also cuts down on inappropriate or harmful behavior within our school.