Anonymous Reporting Systems for School-Based Violence Prevention: A Systematic Review

Anonymous reporting systems (ARS) have been widely implemented in schools across the United States as a violence prevention strategy. The current study systematically reviewed the published literature on ARS in U.S. schools (including public and private k-12 schools, colleges, and universities) over the past 25 years to examine the effectiveness of ARS as a school safety and violence prevention strategy. We conducted a comprehensive literature search which identified just four studies pertaining to ARS in schools. Of note, only one of these studies was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Results from this systematic review point to the need for more empirical studies on the effectiveness of ARS as a violence prevention strategy. Findings from this review also highlight the wide variation across schools in the type of ARS used, the mode of implementation, and associated educational and training components. This review is a first step in documenting an evidence-base for ARS which will be useful in guiding educators and policymakers about best practices for the use of ARS in schools. Impact Statement Anonymous reporting systems (ARS) have been used as a violence prevention strategy in schools by providing a means for individuals within a school community to safely and securely report information about potential violence or concerns about mental health, for example, through an anonymous hotline or reporting app. Despite widespread implementation of ARS in schools, as well as mandates for reporting systems in schools in 21 states, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of ARS for school violence prevention, and information about best practices for ARS implementation is lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the current research on the effectiveness of ARS as a school safety and violence prevention strategy, which is an important step in building an evidence-base to guide schools and policymakers about best practices.