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This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-DJ-BX-0002 awarded by the

Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a

component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau

of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

Points of view or opinions in the document are those of the author and do not

represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of

Justice.

Speaker: Give a personal introduction and talk about why you’re here today.

Stress why you, as the speaker, think Safe2Tell is important to talk about.

This presentation is from Safe2Tell.

Safe2Tell provides an anonymous way for students to report threats to their

safety or the safety of others.

Today, I’m going to explain how Safe2Tell works, and we’ll talk about some

situations where it might help you.

There are lots of rules that students are expected to follow every day.

The only rule here is that we’re going to talk about this together.

How do you define the word “drug”?

Examples:Legal drugs with age restrictions:

- cigarettes

- alcohol

Legal drugs with no age restrictions:

- prescription drugs

- over-the-counter drugs like cold remedies

Illegal drugs:

- street drugs (heroin, meth, ecstasy)

- organic drugs (mushrooms, marijuana, salvia)

When you hear the words “Substance Abuse” what do you think of?

Here’s the definition from a Medical dictionary:

“the misuse of legal or illegal substances with the intent to alter some

aspect of the user's experience. May include medications, illicit drugs,

legal substances with potential mood-altering effects (such as alcohol or

tobacco), or substances whose primary use may not be for human

consumption (such as inhalants).”

Why do young people use these substances?

Examples:- they might think parties seem more fun,

- it seems daring,

- they might like the way it makes them feel,

- they’re bored,

- it seems like a way to forget problems,

- they think it will help them “fit in” with certain social groups

When it comes to drinking alcohol, you’ve probably heard some people

say, “Everybody’s doing it.”

But facts tell us that most teens aren’t.

In 2003, 44.9% of 9–12th graders reported drinking alcohol one or more

times in the past 30 days;

prevalence of current drinking was higher for females (45.8%) than among

males (43.8%).In 2003, 28.3% of 9–12th graders reported binge drinking

(having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row or within a couple of hours)

at least once, during the past 30 days.

The prevalence of binge drinking was higher for males (29%) than among

females (27.5%).In the first example, statistics reveal that almost 45% of

9–12th graders drank alcohol during the past month but what I want you

to realize is that means 55%, or the majority, did not!People who use

pressure to get you to try drugs or alcohol want you to go along with them

so they feel better about their own poor choices.

Why are your prescription meds specifically for YOU?

What could happen when these are misused?

In the long term, prescription pain relievers and other medicines are

potentially addictive. When you rely on prescription medicine (or any

drug) to manage your life, you risk developing a learned, lifelong pattern

of dependency and limitation.

This is true about over-the-counter medicines too. They’re made to

relieve specific symptoms, but overuse can trigger long-term

complications.

Even long-term use of some nasal sprays can prevent your sinuses from

functioning normally!

Many people say that pot is harmless because it’s natural. But tobacco

and even poison ivy grow naturally, and they have some nasty effects.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the chemical that causes some smokers

to develop “tolerance” to its effects and crave more of the drug, leading to

addiction.

Today, marijuana is twice as powerful on average as it was 20 years ago

and its effects and risks vary. Also, some weed is laced with cocaine, PCP

and even includes chemicals like formaldehyde (yes, that’s the stuff they

use to preserve corpses and those frogs in biology class.)

Some students have become addicted to heroin, thinking they were simply

smoking something “natural” and before long they were hooked.

“Natural” doesn’t mean “safe” and the argument doesn’t hold up.

Alcohol, weed, and other drugs can affect youth differently than adults.

Brain development is critical through the adolescent and teens years;

when a teen starts with alcohol or drugs early, they run a much higher

risk of developing a long-term addiction.

Messing around with some substances can permanently alter the way the

brain functions, resulting in lifelong problems with memory, impulse

control, depression, rule learning, spatial learning, planning, and decision

making.

Substances can create a false, short-term pleasure effect, but the long-

term result is that issues can seem worse after that effect has worn off.

In that case, some youth increase their substance use – to get the quick

happiness – and it’s also the fast track to a serious addiction.

Of course there are other instant results from using drugs and alcohol –

with lasting effects.

In 2006, more than 19% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in car crashes

had been drinking alcohol.

The sense of well-being leads youth to take more chances. More often

than not, teens who get too bold often get busted. In more ways than one.

And it can ruin friendships. People don’t always like being around

someone who’s drinking and doing drugs. Social circles can fall apart very

quickly.

And then there are the other consequences. This stuff stays on your

record.

Most schools have a policy about not allowing students to participate in

sports and other activities after they’ve been busted.

Think about everything we’ve talked about.

The consequences are just not worth it.

WHY REPORT? Students know long before adults what is going on in school.

Whether it is a planned fight after school, bullying, threats, drugs...

or someone who needs help with feelings of depression and self-harm.

Students have the power to let someone know in a way that keeps them safe.

That power is with Safe2Tell and here’s how it works...

It really starts with you.

If you’re concerned or worried or scared or hurt, or know someone who is,

contact Safe2Tell.

You can call, or get online, and let someone know what’s going on.

Make the call: The phone lines are staffed 24/7 so you always get to speak to

someone.

Or use the website. Same thing here: your message gets to someone right

away.

On the website, you can also upload pictures if you think it will help solve the

issue.

And it’s anonymous. You don’t give your name.

Safe2Tell is anonymous by Colorado State Law: Your identity is protected.

It’s important, when doing a web report, not to give your name or identifying

information.

Call reports are taken in a way that doesn’t reveal your identity.

Calls are never recorded, and there is no caller ID.

Anonymous means you don’t identify yourself when you make a report, or

during any follow-up activity.

It empowers you to keep yourself, and those around you, safe.

When you call Safe2Tell, a trained Communications Specialist will answer your

call.

You’re talking to a concerned adult who is committed to helping resolve your

situation.

And it may work something like this... Whether you’re online or on the phone,

you tell your concern.

They’ll ask a few questions so they really understand the problem.

Some questions they might ask are:

“Who is involved?” and descriptions of those individuals

“Where did it occur?”

“When did the event happen?”

“Why is it happening?”

“Who else may know about it?”

The more detail you give, the better they’re able to help.

The call-taker will put the information into a Safe2Tell report.

Depending on the nature of your call, they might contact law enforcement ...

... or call your school principal or another school staff member.

This is important to understand. Safe2Tell requests that every tip get attention

from a number of concerned adults.

In fact, the thing we want you to know about Safe2Tell is that adults LISTEN.

They follow up on every tip to see how it turns out.

They require a Disposition Report about how the tip was handled.

When they get the report, it remains as a confidential document at Safe2Tell.

The outcomes are noted and the report is closed.

Here’s another key ingredient with Safe2Tell. They know humans make

mistakes. That’s part of learning.

They also know that in a lot of cases, it’s better to intervene than to make an

arrest.

In the first 6 years Safe2Tell was around, only .7% of calls were serious

enough to result in arrest. The other calls resulted in someone taking action

that fixed or prevented the problem.

Overall... It’s really about helping people, not arresting them.

That’s how the program works.

You can use your voice to make the life of someone else better or worse.

Sometimes if you don’t speak up for someone, no one else will.

This is your role...

You can make a difference.

Speaker: Thank students for participating in the conversation and answer any

additional questions.

If you do not know the answer to a question, please keep track of those

questions and email: info@safe2tell.org

This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-DJ-BX-0002 awarded by the

Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a

component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau

of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

Points of view or opinions in the document are those of the author and do not

represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of

Justice.