The start of fall classes for most area schools is only days away. Kids probably can’t believe the break is almost done and Labor Day looms.

Losing these lazy days of summer should be the only regret most students have about returning to school.

Classrooms, halls and playgrounds, buses and lunchrooms — all should be a safe, pleasant environment for a child to mature, grow and learn. But it also can be a place that harbors fear, intimidation, abuse and bullying.

Those who endure or witness such treatment often are afraid or reluctant to let anyone know about their pain or concerns. They risk being revealed as a “snitch” or becoming even more of a target.

Yet remaining silent has its own dangers.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, in 81 percent of violent incidents in U.S. schools, someone else knew about the planned attack but failed to report it.

Which is why Michigan three years ago created the OK2SAY program, a communication system that enlists community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and law enforcement officials.

OK2SAY offers students and others five ways to report about destructive behaviors in schools such as peer abuse, suicidal thoughts and cyberbullying.

It’s available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. And most significantly, it’s confidential.

“Children need to know they have the power to protect themselves and their peers,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the Michigan State Police. “We will continue to work to educate as many students as we can to remind them that we are here to help them. Nothing is too insignificant to report.”

That message does appear to be getting out. Even during the summer months of June and July, with most schools out of session, OK2SAY received almost 400 tips, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

“OK2SAY works because students across the state are stepping up and speaking out,” Schuette said. “It’s as simple as that.”

To help spread the word further, OK2SAY and the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative offer presentations and materials, tailored for each grade, to interested schools. To sign up to have an OK2SAY or CSI presentation at your school, go to the website www.ok2say.com.

OK2SAY tips can be submitted several different ways: By calling 1-8-555-OK2SAY (1-855-565-2729), texting to 652729 (OK2SAY) or emailing to ok2say@mi.gov, going to the website www.ok2say.com or using the OK2SAY Mobile App, available for download in app stores for iPhone and Android.

Since it began in 2014, the state has received nearly 9,000 tips across 30 categories, most related to bullying, suicide, “others” such as anxiety or depression, self-harm and drugs.

“We are helping to knock down barriers so a student who is struggling can get needed help before a situation turns into a tragedy,” Schuette said.