BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Bradford schools asked families to monitor their children’s online activity and said threats that appear online should be reported to the school, not shared on social media.
Threats on social media — real or pranks — are not new, but they seem to have reached a new level last week as part of a user-driven “challenge” on TikTok that resulted in students sharing posts promoting school shootings on Dec. 17.
The threat followed closely after a mass shooting at Michigan’s Oxford High School on Nov. 30. According to Education Week, there have been 24 school shootings since Aug. 1 and 34 in 2021. There were 24 in 2018 and in 2019.
Making such public threats, serious or not, is illegal, and when law enforcement tracks down and arrest perpetrators, they are charged with terrorism-related crimes. The fear induced by the threats has led to school closures across the country and tied up authorities in time-consuming investigations. School administrators and parents are forced to choose between erring on the side of caution or minimizing the threats to prevent learning disruption. Districts that are able may opt for virtual learning for a day or two, while others may choose to continue classes during school lockdowns — neither an ideal option.
Sometimes the posts can appear as warnings, and there have been cases where a threat was uncovered. Even if posts aren’t credible, they can succeed in causing disruptions and spawn copycats.
That’s why it the Facebook post from Dec. 16, the Bradford County School District told students potential threats should be with school staff or a trusted adult.
“This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online.”
Concerns can also be shared with law enforcement anonymously.
The American Psychological Association suggests parents listen to their kids and encourage them to talk about what’s going on at school.
“Parents should acknowledge to children that bad things do happen, but also reassure them with the information that many people are working to keep them safe, including their parents, teachers and local police,” according to the association.
Parents should also look for signs that their children need help.
“Such indicators could be a change in the child’s school performance, changes in relationships with peers and teachers, excessive worry, school refusal, sleeplessness, nightmares, headaches or stomachaches, or loss of interest in activities that the child used to enjoy.”
