School districts in the U.S. have been on high alert a week before Christmas following reports of potential threats from a viral school shooting TikTok challenge.
After the deadly Michigan school shooting in late November, a crackdown on potential gun attacks has been on the rise. Some schools have even canceled classes or shut down for the day as a matter of precaution.
Officials in states like New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Montana, Arizona and Pennsylvania have increased their police presence on campus as talks of another deadly attack have sparked on TikTok. Schools have also warned parents of concerning information disseminated on the internet though the authorities believe there is no credibility to the threats.
TikTok Working with Authorities
In a statement, TikTok said that they are taking care of the rumors with "utmost seriousness" and have taken down videos related to the school shooting TikTok challenge. The social media platform also said that it will keep cooperating with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the school districts, to stop those promoting violence against the schools.
We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we're working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) December 16, 2021
TikTok is a popular platform among school-aged kids, especially teenagers. The social media giant has come under fire in many incidents this year as kids use the platform to promote various mischief verging on misdemeanor and felony.
Mom of five Trisha Masterson told USA Today that it makes her anxious that schools are no longer safe spaces for her kids. On the day of the school shooting TikTok challenge, she said that her kids, who are between the ages of 10 to 14, decided to still report for class, which was very unsettling for the mom.
Some parents, on the other hand, questioned why other schools closed or canceled classes if the officials were told that the threats are not credible. One father said that apart from the school shooting, "rumors, misinformation, fear and anxiety" are also becoming a big problem in the country. However, officials said that they need to put the safety of the kids as their highest concern thus the call to temporarily close the schools.
What Parents Should Do
Kenneth Trump of the National School Safety and Security Services said parents must have conversations with their children about these potential threats and the alerts they hear online versus the notices from school officials or the police. Moms and dads should put emphasis on the misinformation on social media and insist on their kids to find more credible sources.
The parents must also advise their children not to spread unconfirmed information so they won't contribute to the stress and anxiety of others. Trump said that kids may have a good intention when they share information but this also increases the "distribution of threats," especially if it's unverified.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in Michigan also urged parents to talk to their kids. They should be aware that threats like this will have serious fallouts even if they think it's a joke or a prank.
Schools need to be proactive in assessing the threats as well. As much as possible, they should have a crisis communication plan to avert the rumors on the internet.
