State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) | facebook.com/mccombieforilli
State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) | facebook.com/mccombieforilli
State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) is urging students to take a more active role in assuring that they all stay safe.
“See something, say something,” McCombie recently posted on Facebook in promoting the Safe2Help Illinois program. “Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence or other threats to school safety. Safe2Help is available 24/7:www.Safe2HelpIL.comCall: 1-844-4-SAFE-ILText: 72332 (Safe2).”
The school safety program is part of an effort to raise awareness of threats facing school children across the state.
On its website, Safe2Help bills itself as “a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent threats to school safety.”
Program leaders stress “this program is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to Seek Help Before Harm.”
Safe2Help Illinois is also committed to developing an educational curriculum dedicated to changing the culture in Illinois schools while also “providing the resources to help parents and educators reinforce the components of this program”
With 47,000 Illinois students reported to have attempted suicide as recently as in 2015 and with nearly 100 10- to 19-year-old youths having died that way across the state over the same timeframe, Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, website (Safe2HelpIllinois.com) and other social media platforms to report school safety issues in a confidential environment.
Once vetted, the tips will be quickly shared with local school officials, mental health professionals and/or local law enforcement, depending on the nature of the tip.
According to the FBI, in 85 percent of mass shooting events, someone knew something before the event took place, with telltale signs ranging from social media postings to observed signs of distress
Education Week recently began tracking shootings on K-12 school properties that resulted in firearm-related injuries or deaths. To date this year, there have been 31 school shootings, 23 since Aug. 1. Just last month, an Oxford, Mich., a student opened fire at his school, killing four people and injuring another seven in the deadliest school shooting since May 2018.
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