Suicide threats, bullying, drugs: Here’s what’s being reported in Michigan schools

Suicide threats, bullying, and drugs are among the top problems being reported in Michigan schools through the OK2SAY program.

Don’t know what OK2SAY is? It’s a program that allows anyone to confidentially report tips on potential harm or crime directed at Michigan students, school employees, and schools. It launched in September 2014.

This is just one part of Local 4’s investigation into Michigan school safety. Here’s what’s in the entire report:

• Data from Michigan’s student safety program (OK2SAY) dating back to 2014.
• Data from Michigan’s Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) that breaks down incidents of bullying and the number of violent crime victims in Michigan’s schools.
• District-level data on bullying and violent crime numbers for districts in Southeast Michigan.
• You can find all our school safety investigation coverage here.

---> Click here to view the interactive investigative report.

What are the biggest problems in Michigan schools?

The OK2SAY tip data from the last decade suggests the top concerns in Michigan schools are suicide threats and bullying -- with drugs and “other” just below them. The “other” category includes anxiety, stress, depression, and harassment.

Following those categories are sexual assault (which includes tips about misconduct and exploitation), cyberbullying, planned school attacks, threats, self-harm, and child abuse.

It’s important to know that an OK2SAY tip is information sent to OK2SAY. The number of tips does not equal the number of incidents. A tip is counted even if multiple tips come in for the same incident.

What was being reported in 2024?

In 2024, OK2SAY received the most tips the program has ever seen with 11,671 tips received that year alone.

Around 2,000 of those tips were about bullying -- making it the top concern that year. Just above suicide threats, which received 1,608 tips.

The top five categories in 2024 were:

• Bullying
• Suicide threats
• Other (anxiety, stress, depression, harassment)
• Drugs
• Sexual assault / misconduct / exploitation

What was investigated in 2024?

In 2024, OK2SAY recorded 11,671 tips which broke down to 8,954 incidents, according to the OK2SAY 2024 annual report.

Here’s how incidents were handled in 2024:

• 6,292 incidents were sent to school officials.
• 1,206 incidents were sent to law enforcement.
• 1,529 incidents were sent to online resources, counseling, or crisis lines.
• 145 incidents were sent to Child Protective Services.
• No tips were referred to community mental health services.

Out of the 8,954 incidents recorded in 2024, only 3,868 Outcome Reports were submitted. That means OK2SAY only heard back from 41% of the incidents it sent out information on.

Out of the 3,868 Outcome Reports, 86% of them confirmed the tip was enough information to launch an investigation. The Outcome Reports also reveal that 70% were unaware of the issue before an OK2SAY tip was sent in.

What happens when a tip is sent to OK2SAY?

Here’s what Michigan State Police say happens when a tip is sent to OK2SAY:

• The tip is read by an OK2SAY technician who is skilled in risk assessment, crisis intervention, and information gathering. The technician decides how to prioritize the response.
• The technician might ask the tipster questions to get more information, figure out how severe the problem is, and decide how to respond.
• After they get all the information they need, the technician sends the tip to the agency who will respond -- this could be the school or local police department.
• The agency that was sent the tip will investigate the problem and provide support and other resources. When the investigation is complete, the agency is asked to submit an Outcome Report to OK2SAY.

Is OK2SAY really anonymous?

According to Michigan State Police, “the Student Safety Act generally prohibits the disclosure of tipster information.”

The tipsters identity can only be released with permission of the tipster, the tipster’s parents (if they are a minor), or through a court order.

A look at tip trends through the years

To learn more about the program or submit a tip, visit michigan.gov/ok2say.