History

SPEAK UP New Mexico is a comprehensive statewide initiative that has emerged out of an existing national SPEAK UP campaign. SPEAK UP is a proven national youth violence prevention initiative that empowers students with critical knowledge and resources to prevent weapon-related violence in their schools and communities.

Created by the non-profit organization, PAX/Real Solutions to Gun Violence, and launched in October 2002, SPEAK UP is based on a joint study by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education which revealed that in 81% of school shootings, at least one person had information about the attacker’s plans beforehand. Further studies have shown that when weapons are confiscated in schools, 92% of the time the tip comes from another student. In addition, focus groups conducted by PAX found that the majority of young people are willing to report threats of weapon-related violence if given the appropriate tools. Click here to view additional statistics.

PAX created SPEAK UP in response to this significant opportunity to empower young people to serve as one of our nation’s best defenses against school and community violence.

The 1-866-SPEAK-UP hotline and educational campaign is a vital component of school and community safety plans, complementing and enhancing programs focused on bullying and conflict resolution. In addition to improving school safety, SPEAK UP helps to optimize conditions for successful learning by fostering confidence and security in all students, and in particular the more than 5% of students nationally who miss at least one day out of every 30 because they are afraid of violence at school.