Thursday was an eye-opening morning for parents worried about their child’s safety in school, when a state task force revealed over 1,000 school threats had been made to NC schools in the past year.
A task force dedicated to making schools safer was briefed Thursday morning on threat data before discussing what can be done to reduce incidents.
The Department of Juvenile Justice of the 1,100 school threats made on school campuses over the past year:
- 11% were communicating threats of mass violence
- Of the juveniles charged, 90% were male
- Students themselves reported over 10,000 tips to authorities that included anything from guns on school property to suicide ideation to cyber bullying and drug use
The State Bureau of Investigation Behavorial Assessment Unit outlined the most common threats reported by schools. The vast majority are threats made on social media threats and inappropriate comments.
The Department of Public Safety says there’s been a spike in crime involving young people and guns. Out of those incidents, only 3% happen on school grounds, but leaders are working to do whatever it takes to get that down to zero.
“Every time a gun comes on a school campus that changes the atmosphere and the learning environment on that school’s campus,” said William Lassiter with the NC Department of Public Safety.
