Getting Answers: Mental health toll on students following swatting hoax calls

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Multiple schools across the Bay State and here in western Massachusetts were placed on lockdown due to threats of an active shooter, which turned out to be hoaxes.

Parents are now wondering how to help their kids get through these experiences, especially as they hear about deadly school shootings like the one Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thousands of students were affected by these threats Tuesday and one expert we spoke with said that parents need to talk to their children about these events.

Massachusetts State Police said that at least 28 communities were affected. This all comes just one day after 3 students and 3 adults were killed in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Why are these people doing this? Why are we doing this to our children?” asked Palmer parent Hope Corsi. “It’s not just us as parents – it’s these children that you are scaring, and you’re scarring them. People shouldn’t be scared to go to school.”

Palmer High School was among those ordered into lockdown Tuesday morning. Northampton Police also said that a threat came in regarding their high school just after 11 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Over in Greenfield, police said they also received a call around the same time, reporting a potential threat of a person with a gun at an unspecified school in the city, possibly the high school or Stoneleigh Burnham.

Central High School in Springfield was targeted, as well. Administrators told Western Mass News in a statement, in part:

“Unfortunately, Central High School was amongst the reportedly close to 30 Massachusetts schools that received the hoax today. Authorities quickly identified the call as the hoax being experienced across the state. Still safety officials deployed to the school per protocol and out of an abundance of caution. The school is communicating directly with the school community.”

Western Mass News spoke with the chief medical officer for Miravista, Tara Vista Behavioral Health Center on how parents can speak to their children about their experiences with these types of swatting calls.

“Explain to your child what happened and what is happening, and what’s going to happen in his or her words so that they can understand,” Dr. Negar Beheshti told us.

Dr. Beheshti also suggested that parents open the conversation about these topics since children might not always come to them to express their emotions.

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