[LM_NET] FW: Threat assessment and Internet

[Nancy Willard <nwillard@CSRIU.ORG>]

5 Kan. Students Arrested in Alleged Plot

RIVERTON, Kan. - Five teenage boys fully intended to go on a shooting
spree at their high school but were stopped after one of them discussed
the plot on a Web site, law enforcement and school officials said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060421/ap_on_re_us/foiled_plot

IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT THAT SAFE SCHOOL OFFICIALS UNDERSTAND THE
REALITY THAT THERE IS A HIGH POTENTIAL THAT IF STUDENTS ARE PLANNING A
VIOLENT ATTACK AT SCHOOL, SOMEONE WILL BE PROVIDING HINTS ABOUT THIS
ONLINE!!!

I have reviewed many school threat assessment plans. None that I have seen
incorporate review of online communications of students--either on
commercial sites or transmitted via the district Internet system.

I have not seen any written guidance to students related to reporting
school threats or any other concerning material that they see online. It
does appear from recent reports that some students understand the
importance of this. But we have to make sure.

A very clear message MUST be communicated to ALL students IMMEDIATELY that
if they see a hint of a suggestion that someone is planning a school
attack, they should download this and report it to school.

It is ESSENTIAL that all safe school personnel have the immediate ability
to override the school filter to get to any place on the Internet where
students might be posting material that is of concern! In many districts
such staff reportedly does not have this authority or capacity to do
this(and some likely do not have the knowledge of how to find this
material).

I have posted a document on my site addressing the safe school issues
related to social networking communities. It is available at:
http://cyberbully.org/docs/youthriskonlinealert.pdf.

I have not found any national discussion lists for safe school personnel
that are as widely spread at the three lists I have posted this message
on.

PLEASE download my document and send it to your safe school personnel. I
have given permission and strong encouragement for the dissemination of
this document.

You could save a kid's life by taking the time to make sure your
administration knows about these issues.

Nancy
-- 
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
http://csriu.org
http://cyberbully.org
nwillard@csriu.org

Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social
Cruelty, Threats, and Distress, a resource for educators, is now available
online at http://cyberbully.org.

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