MADISON, Wis. (WSAW) – The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of School Safety (OSS) has released its Annual report 2023-2024 for Speak, Speak (SUSO).

SUSO received 5,270 tips during the 2023-2024 school year, an increase of more than 40% from the previous school year.

SUSO is a toll-free statewide threat reporting line available in all Wisconsin schools. SUSO also serves as a hub connecting all OSS initiatives and an entry point where schools can access the comprehensive services offered by OSS as well as local, state and national partners.

“Children in our schools should be able to focus on what they are learning in class without having to worry about their safety,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Speak Up, Speak Out has been a remarkable success, helping a growing number of students and assisting many schools striving to take a comprehensive approach to school safety.

Since SUSO’s inception in 2020, bullying has always been the number one tip. It is also common nationally for bullying to be the most reported complaint. Awareness of these incidents helps schools intervene early, before grievances and upsets lead children down a path to violence.

Many Wisconsin students have contacted SUSO each year since its inception. They shared concerns that resulted in safer school communities. The OSS says the significant increase in tips and the rich dialogue many students have with SUSO staff indicate that SUSO has gained a reputation among young people as a safe, accessible and credible place to report concerns.

The 2023-2024 Annual Report reflects OSS’s comprehensive approach to prioritizing the prevention of violence in our schools and, when crisis events occur, responding appropriately to mitigate trauma and enable students to return to learning more quickly. The OSS supported several schools in their response to the crisis and their recovery during the 2023-2024 school year.

OSS also offers a variety of free training regarding violence prevention, protection, mitigation, crisis response and recovery. These include training on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM), Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM). Between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024, OSS provided SRP and SRM training to 838 individuals from 98 public school districts, private schools and tribal schools, 55 law enforcement agencies and 28 others agencies such as emergency management, emergency medical services, fire departments, municipal government, bus companies and other community agencies.

For more information about SUSO and the Wisconsin DOJ, Click here.

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