Threats against schools have no place in our society. Period. Yet they have been spreading like a terrible illness that’s a symptom of underlying problems. We are facing this right now in Bartholomew County, and we need to stop it.
Last Friday, Parkside Elementary School was the subject of a gun threat on Snapchat, resulting in widespread rumors about other schools in the following week, all of which were determined to be unfounded.
As The Republic’s Andy East reported, “The wave of false information circulating on social media included unfounded claims of threats against Northside Middle School and Schmitt Elementary School, as well as false rumors about Columbus North High School and Columbus East High School being placed on lockdown on Monday.”
This came about after an 11-year-old girl was arrested and charged with felony intimidation and misdemeanor false informing for allegedly making a threat on Snapchat against Parkside Elementary School.
“The threat led to an increased police presence at all Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. schools on Monday, as well as ‘dramatically less’ attendance across the school corporation, according to BCSC officials,” East reported.
“‘With a lot of false rumors coming through, we spend a lot of our time looking into those and verifying that they are false,’” said Columbus Police Department spokesman Sgt. Skylar Berry. “‘… (I)t can slow things down and overwhelm all of our resources. … Verifying information before you share it could have cut down on a lot of that.’”
This is crucial: If you see a rumor of a threat online, before you hit “share”, call the school or the non-emergency police line. Doing so might save lives. Authorities need to know about threats right away so they can respond appropriately.
It’s understandable that parents want their kids safe when threats are spreading. It’s a terrible feeling to know that someone is making threats against a school, where we want all kids to feel safe.
Disrupting public education and promoting chaos seem to be the goals of those who make threats against schools. And sadly, in this age of school shootings, every threat must be taken seriously.
We believe anyone who makes a school threat should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We also believe law enforcement must have the tools and resources to track down the sources of threats and bring them to justice.
Likewise, responsible parents should police their kids’ internet use and strive to set a good example. This can be a teachable moment about the awesome power — and perils — of the internet, and a lesson on personal responsibility online and in real life.
Let’s remember that the child charged for the Parkside threat is only 11 years old. We trust she will receive help, guidance, discretion and accountability measures through the juvenile justice system.
Meanwhile, there are root causes to all of this, including our own impulses and online activity. Can you go a day without social media?
Fact is, many of us have become addicted, and it’s not harmless. Social media platforms bear no responsibility for whether the content they provide is true or false. And as we’ve seen, online threats can have dire real-life consequences.
Fortunately, the cure for this ill lies within each of us, if we realize it.
