Overview

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported an increase in mental health–related pediatric emergency room (ER) visits in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. From March to October 2020, the proportion of mental health–related ER visits increased by 24 percent for children age 5–11 and by 31 percent for youth age 12–17 compared to the prior year (CDC 2020). Social isolation, family stress, and economic hardships created by the pandemic have made children more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The increase in mental health–related ER visits is also concerning because the suicide rate among youth age 10–24 increased by more than 57 percent from 2007 to 2018 (Curtin 2020).

These alarming statistics make it imperative that school staff, parents, and community members become aware of (1) the warning signs for mental health–related difficulties and (2) how to report and intervene to address those difficulties. Violence prevention expert and former school resource officer Susan Payne shared, “We need eyes to see [the pain] and voices to share it” to prevent a child’s distress from escalating to self-harm or violence.

Bystander reporting provides an excellent resource for sharing concerns. Following the attack at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999, several states and schools adopted bystander reporting programs such as anonymous or confidential tip lines to encourage people to report their concerns about others’ worrisome behavior or communication (e.g., hopelessness, threat, self-harm). These tip lines have been extremely successful in preventing suicide, averting school violence, and investigating child abuse. Recent reports from the U.S. Secret Service and the National Police Foundation have identified numerous instances where a tip from a concerned peer, teacher, or parent prompted an intervention that saved a life (Langman and Straub 2019; NTAC 2019). These reports also documented cases where others observed but did not report their concerns, and a violent attack occurred (Langman and Straub 2019; NTAC 2019).

Many children struggle with mental health issues as a result of issues such as family violence, abuse, and bullying from peers. This can lead to problem behaviors ranging from truancy to self-harm or harm to others. Schools and communities should adopt a “Stand up, Speak up” philosophy to create a culture that empowers teachers, students, and others to report their concerns so that children can get help and support to address problems.

Using Bystander Reporting to Save a Life

Trust is the most critical element of an effective bystander reporting program. In school settings, “upstanders” (bystanders who come forward with information) are influenced by positive relations with one or more adults in the school (e.g., teachers or staff) or a feeling within the school that the information will be taken seriously and addressed appropriately (Pollack et al. 2008). Trusting relationships arise in schools where a positive climate is fostered (Federal Commission on School Safety 2018).

Thus, school leaders should ask:

1. Do our students and staff know what to report (e.g., concerning behavior)?
   • Are they familiar with the warning signs for potential self-harm and targeted violence?
2. Do our students and staff know how to report concerning behavior?
   • Do they have access to a tip line or a school-based crisis team that can be contacted via phone, text, email, website, or mobile app?
   • Do they know what details to provide so the concern can be investigated?
3. Do they trust the bystander reporting program enough to use it?
   • Do they believe the tip line is safe (anonymous or confidential)?
   • Do they believe the tip line produces timely, fair investigations and resolutions that are supportive, not punitive?

Then, school leaders should review their procedures for receiving, investigating, and managing bystanders’ reports. The questions to ask include the following: (1) How are reports triaged, investigated, and resolved, and by whom? (2) How is this process monitored and assessed to ensure timely responses and continuous improvement?

Recognizing School Culture and Climate as the Foundation of School Safety

The U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education have described a positive school climate, including bystander reporting, as the foundation of all school safety work. A positive school culture is one where students and staff notice and report their concerns to a responsible adult (or tip line)—embracing the philosophy that “sharing is caring” (not “telling is tattling”). To accurately gauge the likelihood that students and staff will notice and report their concerns, the U.S. Department of Education recommends that schools

• educate students, staff, and parents on the warning signs for self-harm and targeted school violence and on the ways to report those concerns;
• assess the culture and climate of the school-community using a climate survey, disciplinary data, or observational data or some combination of these;
• monitor the functioning of the school’s bystander reporting program by examining the quality of the tips received and the handling of those tips.

Table 1. Bystander reporting—Warning signs, actions, and resources for mental health, suicide, and school violence concerns

Additional Resources

Bystander Reporting and Response

• School Tip Line Toolkit
• Getting Buy-In for Anonymous Reporting Systems
• COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRITAC).
• Safe and Sound Schools
• STOP School Violence Program grants through the Bureau of Justice Assistance

School Culture and Climate

• U.S. Department of Education’s ED School Climate Survey
• University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence climate surveys

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