Local schools were on high alert on Friday due to a circulating challenge on the video service TikTok that encouraged students to bring a weapon to school.
This comes just weeks after the country’s deadliest school shooting this year, in which a 15-year-old sophomore shot 11 people and killed four at Oxford High School in Michigan. Earlier that day, he had been called into the main office for an emergency meeting with his parents after a teacher reported disturbing behavior. The parents refused to take him home. His backpack, which concealed a gun, was not searched despite the school’s legal right to do so. His parents were later charged as well.
While the TikTok challenge was determined to be a false alarm, the threat itself has a serious impact on children’s mental health, said school therapist Tharaha Thavakumara with Genesee Mental Health. She works with children in the East Rochester Union Free School District.
“If you as a parent notice your child is withdrawing or not willing to open up and talk to you, get them help. Get them to a therapist. Have them talk to their school counselor, their school social worker,” she said. “Just be aware. Kids are going through a lot.”
She said this particular “challenge” not only threatens to take people’s lives, it also puts teachers, staff, and students in a state of hypervigilance -- at a time when many are grappling with the effects of the pandemic, and coping with years of active shooter drills.
“It’s a reality that these kids have to deal with,” Thavakumara said. “So, they are in a constant state of trauma, and when you are in a constant state of trauma, it's really hard to focus on academics, it’s really hard to focus on just being a child.”
The Rochester City School District issued a notice to families and staff requesting that any potential threat be reported to an administrator immediately.
In a statement, Fairport Central School District Superintendent Brett Provenzano told district staff and families: “While we understand that these posts can be alarming, they are not credible. If you or your child has questions or concerns, please contact your school principal or call 911 for immediate assistance.
Webster Central School District Superintendent Brian Neenan Superintendent issued a joint statement with Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier, noting that it is “critical for families to continue having conversations about digital citizenship and cyber safety” with children.
According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, children are vulnerable to pandemic-related stress, including exposure to excessive screen time, disturbing news, and isolation. The study advises parents to spend quality time with their children, and limit kids’ exposure to news.
In a statement on Friday, Rep. Joe Morelle, D-Irondequoit called on TikTok to remove dangerous content like this “challenge.” TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
“TikTok has a responsibility to moderate dangerous content — and they're failing,” Morelle said in the statement. “This has become an alarming pattern of behavior that cannot continue. I’m calling on TikTok to publicly address this most recent incident and take immediate action to better moderate content on their platform and stop the spread of violence.”
