School threats continue to be a serious concern and no matter the intent, they are never taken lightly. Whether it is a joke or not, school officials and law enforcement investigate every case immediately. Even if the student did not intend to cause harm, a threat will still lead to extreme consequences. Any statement (whether spoken, written, or posted online) can have major effects on both the student and the entirety of the school.
Results from this include expulsion from your school, difficulty finding jobs, criminal charges, permanent criminal record and jail time. All of these are long-lasting effects that will dramatically impact a student’s life.
More specifically, students that make these threats will face extreme disciplinary actions from their school such as suspension or expulsion. On a more severe note, there are also legal repercussions that take place. For instance, making a threat is a felony which leads to criminal charges. One single incident of a student committing a criminal act can sometimes even lead to a lifetime of crime. Minors inducted into the criminal justice system oftentimes have a difficult time getting out of their circumstances and ultimately choose to commit more crime as a result.
In addition to this, making a threat will create a negative reputation for the student that will dramatically impact not only the students future, but also their mental health. A student in such a situation may have trouble finding another school that will allow them to attend and may even negatively impact their future employment. This ultimately creates a ripple effect of a student experiencing feelings of unworthiness, loss of hope and that the remainder of their life may be filled with the same.
“Social media is definitely a huge factor at fault” faculty member Claudia Stawicki. Many people agree that social media plays a significant role in various issues. This includes misinformation or even privacy concerns. When on your favorite apps, it is extremely necessary to be highly aware of what you post because a simple, harmless quote can be taken out of context and these social media platforms make it very easy to track where and who it came from. Additionally, what you post online is there forever, further impacting a student’s future. “These threats are getting far too frequent,” said sophomore Jonathan Lupo.
