What would you do? What would you do if your child went to a school and they received a threat that put the school on lockdown or canceled the day altogether? With recent threats in the Magic Valley causing some schools to go into lockdown or cancel classes, it is a very scary time in society. It use to be school was one of the safest places for children, but as the world has progressed, times have changed and sadly it seems like schools are no longer safe for our children at times. For some parents, this is a reality they are facing after last week's incidents, and some very serious discussions are taking place in households in the Magic Valley.

Threats Against Schools is Happening Too Often

Credit: Thomas Park on Unsplash
Credit: Thomas Park on Unsplash
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First and foremost, threats against schools are happening too often. Not just in Idaho, but all across America, it feels like it is turning into a daily or weekly story on the news. As a parent of a child that is starting kindergarten this fall, it has forced my wife and me to sit down and have some serious discussions about our options going forward and what is the best way to proceed with our child's schooling. For parents that have had their children in school when something like this has happened, I can't even imagine the feeling right now. Every day dropping your child off has to be a little scarier than it use to be.

How a Parent Should Handle the Situation

Credit: CDC on Unsplash
Credit: CDC on Unsplash
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There is no right or wrong way to react after your child's school has threats that force it into a lockdown or cancellation of classes for a day. It is one of the things that parents worry about most and most reactions are justified. Do you keep your child home from school or change them to homeschooling? Do you look at transferring them to potentially another school, but there is no promise it won't happen there either? Do you continue what you are doing and hope it is a one-time thing? The fact that this discussion is being had, alone sickens me. 

Who is to Blame and How Can it Be Avoided? 

kyo azuma on Unsplash
kyo azuma on Unsplash
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One question that continues to be asked when situations like these occur is who is to blame? Is it the parents or parent of the people raising the person? Is it their peers for potentially the way they treat them through bullying that leads to it? Is it something in their brain that just happens? My firm belief is it can be a combination of all the above. When kids are bullied, it has a phycological effect on the one bullied and over time their brain starts to form ideas and thoughts of how to handle it. When a child is raised in a broken home and doesn't feel accepted or loved, then there can be long-term effects.

Credit: MChe Lee on Unsplash
Credit: MChe Lee on Unsplash
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One place to point the finger is social media and the internet. Far too often, people are hiding behind their phones and computers, bullying, threatening, and being cruel to other people, but don't have to handle consequences. These people are hiding behind screens, and don't realize the amount of damage they are causing, or maybe they do and just don't care. It is hard to figure out where the blame should fall and what schools can do to stop this moving forward. Sadly, if it was a simple answer, we wouldn't be seeing these stories in the news anymore. 

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One thing I do know is that whenever these threats are made, schools, officers, and everyone involved need to act accordingly. I have seen on social media where people say if someone threatens to do it they likely won't. While at times that may be true, as a parent, I don't want a school to think that way. It only takes one time to not be prepared, and it will cost people their lives. Take all threats seriously and be wrong instead of not treating them seriously and being wrong. The consequences are not worth the risk. With time now having passed since the threats in the Magic Valley, parents in the area have those tough decisions to make and discussions to have. Home school, keep things normal, transfer, or other alternatives for your kids. What would you do? 

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