The motto for the New York City subway system’s safety campaign is “If you see something, say something.”

While this might be an ideal message to encourage participation by adults, it’s more difficult to persuade youths to get involved in such campaigns. In a recent story the Butler Eagle published about cyber bullying, we reported that 70 percent of students have witnessed frequent cyber bullying, but 90 percent of them ignored it.

So, we were pleased to see the state’s attorney general launch Safe2Say Something, a statewide school safety reporting system, last month. The program enables students, teachers and parents to submit tips regarding potentially dangerous school-related situations to a state “crisis center” using a smart phone application, phone number or website.

Even better, those providing tips can do so anonymously, which could increase participation from people who might be hesitant otherwise.

The crisis center screens the reports and then sends information to relevant schools and emergency dispatchers. While the center’s focus is on potentially life-threatening incidents, common reports can also include bullying, social isolation, self-harm and substance abuse. This month, Butler students will begin to receive training for the program.

Naturally, the anonymity involved in the system could lead to some headaches — for example, inaccurate tips or false accusations. Safe2Say has, so far, forwarded one report based on a tip to Butler County’s 911 dispatchers. If the system has the ability to prevent only one situation in which a student could get hurt, then it’s well worth the investment.

Earlier this year, two incidents involving Butler County schools provided a variety of such scenarios. In one on Jan. 7, a Knoch High School student was arrested following the discovery of a Snapchat video in which he is seen firing an AK-style weapon with the caption “Training for prom walk.” It was later discovered that the same student could allegedly be spotted in another image in which he was giving a thumbs up to a newspaper clipping on the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.

Later in January, a middle school student was questioned for a Snapchat photo of two shotguns and a knife with the caption “Can’t wait until after school.” No charges were filed against the student in this incident, which apparently related to the boy’s excitement about a hunting trip. So, while the latter incident turned out to be fairly innocent, parents were rightfully concerned about the former one.

The anonymous element of Safe2Say Something could encourage a student or parent to provide a tip that ensures students at district schools remain safe. We encourage parents and students who see something in their schools that doesn’t feel right to say something.