Research has determined that in the majority of incidents of school violence, someone has known about the plan before it has occurred. Why, then, are students so reluctant to report their concerns? The US Secret Service and US Department of Education conducted a study in 2008 called Prior Knowledge of Potential School-Based Violence. They found that peers do not report concerns about potential violence for the following reasons:

• Students didn’t know how to report
• They didn’t know what to report
• They didn’t know whom to contact with concerns
• They thought they had more time to act
• They dismissed concerns because the person talked about these things often or over a long period of time
• They witnessed concerning behavior in the presence of an adult, so they assumed the adult had things under control

Our job, as parents and educators, is to teach our children what to watch for, and the differences between "tattling" or "ratting someone out" and taking action to protect themselves and their peers. We need to help our children and teens brainstorm the names of safe adults to talk with, and teach them the steps they can take when they have concerns.