Q. How does SafeVoice work? Is it anonymous?
A. SafeVoice allows students, parents, school and community members to anonymously report concerning and potentially threatening situations and behaviors. Report can be submitted on the mobile app, at www.safevoicenv.org, or by calling the hotline at 833.216.7233 (SAFE). The reports are received and responded to live 24/7/365 by Communication Specialists at the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS) SafeVoice Communications Center, who will engage law enforcement immediately if necessary. When the report is made, the reporter’s identity is not known, the report is anonymous. If he or she chooses to, the reporter may give name and/or contact information in order to allow self-reporting or to be contacted as a friend or witness. By law, all reports are confidential; they are never shared outside of those with a right to know and a need to know that particular situation to protect student safety. SafeVoice should NOT be used to voice general school complaints, which should be directed to school officials, or to prank or harass, which may receive investigation and consequences.
Q. Who receives the SafeVoice reports at my child’s school?
A. By law your child’s school has SafeVoice team members who receive reports from DPS. The team includes various school officials. Many principals have placed multiple administrators, counselors and safe school professionals (social workers) on their SafeVoice teams.
Q. What is the purpose of SafeVoice? Where did it come from?
A. The purpose of SafeVoice is to enable students, parents, and community members to intervene 24/7 in concerning and threatening situations related to K-12 youth, and when individuals feel the need to report anonymously. SafeVoice is not only to prevent school violence but also to protect student well-being. The larger goal is to support a positive school climate: when children feel safe and cared for, they become students who have energy to learn. Students can also use SafeVoice to self-report when they are in distress; they may voluntarily identify themselves in the report or they may choose to reveal it as the team responds. It is a sign of strength, not shame, to ask for help. SafeVoice is the result of Senate Bill 212 of the 2017 Legislative Session; fortunately, its first three years of operation are funded by a research grant.
Q: Do SafeVoice procedures supersede school procedures and protocols?
A. No, they do not. SafeVoice is an early warning system and a way to seamlessly share information among those in who have vulnerable children and potentially threatening situations on their radar screen. It DOES NOT replace mandatory reporting requirements or substitute for a bullying investigation. School SafeVoice team members will commence a school protocol, including parental notification, at the same time as they would for any student well-being, disciplinary, or potentially criminal matter, including bullying.
Q. My children and I are more comfortable communicating in Spanish or another language. How do we use SafeVoice?
A. All three methods of making a report can assist you. The SafeVoice Comm Center has call takers who are fluent in Spanish. The web-based tip report form has a language selection drop down box in the upper right corner of the web form. The mobile app also supports multiple languages.
Q. I know SafeVoice is to keep children safe, but can parents use it too? I have submitted my concerns before, how will this be any different?
A. Yes, parents are welcome to use SafeVoice as a way to report an incident that your child may have shared with you. The more detail that can be provided, the better the ability of the school’s administrators to effectively respond. One advantage of SafeVoice is that the people who need to know and respond in terms of investigation, discipline, creating safety plans, and providing support to your child are all on the same communication platform, increasing the opportunity for them to resolve concerns.
Q. I think this is great. How can I help?
A. You can spread the word that SafeVoice exists to protect our students and their schools among your family, friends, and co-workers. Importantly, you can encourage your children and their friends to use SafeVoice responsibly, only in situations of real concern. You can also encourage them to speak directly to you, their teachers, and school administrators about concerns, but SafeVoice is here 24/7 or when they feel a need to report anonymously.
