Gun violence in this day and age has become very common to see and hear about. In today’s news, gun violence has become a focus in news headlines. People see the violence portrayed through the media almost daily, so it’s important to know what you should do if you see a real threat involved with your school.
If a student sees a possible threat, instead of sending it out or simply warning your peers, you should immediately report it to someone at school, such as a principal, a teacher or any trusted adult. If a possible threat is sent out and it is sent to others, it could cause a panic and spread inaccurate information.
“The amount of students daily that will come up to me with concerns regarding their personal safely or the safety of their fellow peers is about three to four times a day,” Deputy Wilkins said.
Wilkins said students should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to reach out to any school staff or administration if they see something of any concern.
“In my three years we’ve had two [threats] that have directly impacted our campus. It becomes a big thing not just in the school community, but because of social media, it reaches the community at large and a lot of families and parents. We had a lot of students that have emailed me directly which was a very positive thing, so I encourage students to email me directly with screenshots of anything that they deem inappropriate or pose as a threat to a campus,” Wilkins said.
Students also have other resources if they prefer to report a threat anonymously.
“There is also the “Say Something” software program that is linked to our homepage that was used this previous time and is something that can be an asset,” Principal Kevin Spainhour said.
Students are provided with a link named, “See Something, Say Something.” If you see anything online, in person or hear a rumor of any sort, you are able to go to the website and report it. With just one report, events of danger can be prevented.
