school tip line

The State of Ohio prioritizes the safety of our students within and outside of our school buildings; while we all do the best we can to ensure the well-being of our students, we understand there are many situations that occur that school faculty might not be aware of. That is why the State of Ohio offers the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts both calls and texts, 24 hours a day. 

The tip line allows individuals to report things like: bullying incidents; withdrawn student behaviors; gang related activities; verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty, or schools; self-harm or suicident sentiments, and more. 

This year, the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) is giving students an opportunity to be a part of a statewide marketing campaign through the Safer Ohio School Tip Line. Students in grades 6-8, 9-12, and those in higher education are invited to participate in a school safety PSA contest to spread awareness and encourage participating with the state’s tip line. 

The creators of the winning video PSA submissions will be invited to the OSSC, when it is safe to do so, to work with the OSSC team and produce a professional quality version of their original submission(s). The newly produced PSA will then be used in a statewide marketing campaign for the Safer Ohio School Tip Line. 

Those entering the contest should follow appropriate CDC guidelines (wearing a mask, social distancing, etc.) when creating the videos and all submissions should include the following information:

• The Safer Ohio School Tip Line can be accessed via text or phone call 24/7

• Any tip you leave may be done so anonymously

• The Tip Line phone number: 844-723-3764

• The type of tips that may be reported: 

• Bullying

• Withdrawn student behaviors

• Verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty, or schools

• Weapons/suspicious devices on or near school grounds

• Gang related activities

• Substance abuse

• Unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff

• Self-harm or suicidal sentiments

• Any other school safety related concern

Even though there are multiple activities/behaviors that may be reported to the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, only one video per student may be submitted. Be creative and show your school spirit while promoting positive school climate and information sharing. 

The deadline for submissions is December 18. Schools with winning submissions will be notified in January of 2021. 

When submitting your video, please identify which grade range you are applying under: 6-8, 9-12, or higher education. 

For submissions or questions, please email OhioSchoolSafetyCenter@dps.ohio.gov. 

To learn more about the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, click here.