WISCONSIN — Wisconsin’s free statewide threat reporting tip line for schools received 95% more tips during the 2022-2023 school year compared to the previous year, according to the latest annual report from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety (OSS).

Broken down, that’s a total of 3,754 tips.

The Speak Up, Speak Out (SUSO) tip line was created in 2020 as a hub for schools to get OSS services. In the three years since its launch, it’s grown 136% in volume and received more than 7,500 tips.

The latest data shows its continued success.

“Speak Up, Speak Out resource center analysts are having a positive impact on school safety in Wisconsin,” Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a press release.

Between Sept. 1, 2022 and Aug. 31, 2023, SUSO said it received at least one tip from 449 Wisconsin schools. That’s compared to 326 schools in the previous year.

Bullying and vaping were the top two most reported tips in the 2022-2023 school year. Bullying had 1,124 tips and vaping had 366.

Other top tips included duplicate (329) — or the same concern reported by more than one tipster — inappropriate conduct (258), school complaint (206) and drugs (191).

There were also 84 tips about “concerns of a planned school attack.”

The impact of SUSO is wide-reaching. Data in the report shows that the program helped every one of Wisconsin’s 72 counties this year, whether it was the tipline, general school safety guidance or training.

At least 60 of those 72 counties received trainings and presentations from OSS or got a tip from SUSO.

Officials said this is important because “the willingness of bystanders to come forward with concerns for the wellness and safety of themselves or others is a key component of student health and violence prevention efforts in schools.”

Students, parents, school staff or any community members can submit a report to SUSO 24/7 in three different ways:

• Online at widoj.gov
• 1-800-MY-SUSO-1 (1-800-697-8761)
• Or via mobile app