Recently there has been an outbreak of threats to commit horrendous acts of violence against students in our local schools. Yes, right here in Blount County, Alabama! This is the kind of thing you think cannot happen here but it absolutely can and will if administrators and the boards do not take it seriously.
What Happened?
Oneonta, West End, Cleveland, and Southeastern have had high level threats. The individuals have made threats that were obviously thought out with details like a date they would do it, how they would do it, and even a list of students they were going to kill at one school. The BIG PROBLEM is the way it was handled at each school. Teachers and students reported to principals and the Boards of Education, but the reports fell on deaf ears. In some cases situations were not addressed for weeks. Teachers and students that know about these instances are living in fear every day they walk into school not knowing if it will be their last.
Handbook For Assessing and Addressing Threats
These situations are extremely difficult to deal with but one thing is clear, doing nothing is not going to work. The FBI has an extremely detailed 129 page handbook (here is a link) on every aspect of dealing with and preventing acts of violence. People make threats for many different reasons, but most are preventable if addressed promptly and with the right tools. Many of these cases stem from a broken home and are cries for help. Please take some time and look over the handbook and inform your school board that this tool is available as they may simply not know what to do.
Social Media’s Role
It’s no coincidence that school violence has had a parabolic increase over the last few years. Social Media plays a huge role in the mental health of our children. Looking at the chart below, you can see an increase in school shootings during the pandemic when virtual learning and spending half the school year at home came into play. Parents had to become teachers and make tough decisions on how to make a living and teach 8 hours worth of class. During this time kids spent more time online than ever before and without socializing. Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok are a large component in the drama leading up to threats that can easily escalate into irreversible events .
What Can We Do?
- Children do not need phones- they cause more harm than good. If you insist on your child having a phone, they still make non-smart phones you can call and text with.
- Be the parent-if they have a phone go through it. You do own it after all. Set time limits and don’t allow unsupervised use especially at night or during long periods of time.
- Talk to your children. This one is very important! It can be hard to find time in our busy lives to spend with our children. It’s critical that you build a good relationship with your child. So you can tell if something isn’t right, whether they are depressed or if something is going on with another child.
- Talk to your school administration and ask what their policy is on handling these situations.
- Get outdoors! Instead of sitting inside on a tablet or phone get your children to play outside no matter their age. Grow a small garden with them, you would be surprised what this can do for mental health.