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CISA and Secret Service Release Toolkit for K-12 Schools to Strengthen School Safety Reporting Programs

  • 1.  CISA and Secret Service Release Toolkit for K-12 Schools to Strengthen School Safety Reporting Programs

    Posted 05-17-2023 11:20:00 AM

    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has released the K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit, a new resource to support kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools in strengthening school safety reporting programs and encouraging bystander reporting among students and other members of the school community. 

    Effective reporting systems, and the willingness of bystanders to come forward with safety and wellness concerns for themselves and others, are critical components of student health and school violence prevention efforts. The K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit offers simple strategies and guidance K-12 schools and school districts can use to implement or enhance safety reporting programs and create a school environment where students are more willing and able to report concerns for the wellness and safety of themselves or others. It is designed to help school leaders create tailored, customized approaches that best meet the needs of their unique communities.

    Developed in collaboration with the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, the toolkit offers five key strategies for schools to consider in strengthening their school safety reporting programs: 

    • Encourage bystanders to report concerns for the wellness and safety of themselves or others.
    • Make reporting accessible and safe for the reporting community.
    • Follow-up on reports and be transparent about the actions taken in response to reported concerns.
    • Make reporting a part of daily school life.
    • Create a positive climate where reporting is valued and respected.

    The K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit is applicable to schools comprising a range of student populations, geographical settings, and at various levels of maturity in their approach to reporting. In addition to strategies and guidance, it provides self-assessment worksheets and checklists and a list of additional school safety resources on topics such as threat assessment and school climate.

    The toolkit represents the latest effort in CISA's and the Secret Service's shared school safety mission, which includes providing schools with actionable, practical, and cost-efficient steps toward preventing harm or acts of violence among our most important populations.

    To access "Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting: A Toolkit for Strengthening K-12 Reporting Programs," visit here.



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    Adam Lustig
    Director, Center for Safe Schools
    National School Boards Association
    Alexandria, VA
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