Legislation passed this year by the General Assembly provides stiff penalties for acts involving bomb threats, including the suspension of a student's driver's license and required restitution. The law gives school authorities many significant tools to guard the safety of our young people. I would encourage every school to use whatever enforcement is necessary. Schools that use rumor control mechanisms such as hotlines have had much success in investigating and curtailing rumors early before problems arise. We should encourage students to help their school administrators divert problems before they escalate.
Students are clearly key to securing order and safety in every school.
Principals should open communications with students to help seek solutions. I would encourage parents to be more vigilant of the activities of their children, including internet activity. Chat rooms and email messages have spread rumors across the nation very rapidly. Often they have been personalized and localized and have fed fears and concerns. Students should understand that the internet is not anonymous and that illegal activities on the internet can be traced directly to computer users with the use of modern technological tools.