There are many threats at schools in Florida. Here's how parents can help their children

In recent weeks, dozens of threats have been made at schools in Central Florida, and several students have been arrested for possession of weapons on campus.

The threats follow a shooting at a Georgia high school that left four people dead earlier this month.

A wave of threats against schools has also swept schools across the country from north to south, in states like Ohio and Illinois and here in Florida.

Kimberly Renk is a child psychologist at the University of Central Florida. She says parents should be honest with their children about the threats.

Renk recommends first addressing the strong feelings children may have about school shootings and then talking to them about their school's safety plan.

She said the conversation should be solution-focused and not talk about the details of past school shootings that could further traumatize young people.

“What does the school say about the plan, what have you learned in your classes? How do you talk about it in school? So that parents have a base or a foundation to build on, and from there you can then talk to your child about how confident they feel with this plan,” asked Renk.

Renk said families should also talk about any plans they have in response to a threat to the school, including how they might pick up their children from school early.

“I think parents should have conversations with their children in advance or come up with a plan of attack. If school is threatened, I'll pick them up or not, or whatever the expectations are. Parents should set the tone and say: This is our plan if something like this were to happen, and this is how I'm going to behave, so I'm very predictable for you and can ease your fears,” Renk said.

Renk said if parents are concerned that their child is making a threat, or if they believe their child is experiencing a mental health crisis, it is imperative to take those warning signs seriously and get them the help they need.

“I think any kind of comment or threat should always be taken seriously, just in case. And then I think it would be warranted to find either a doctor or psychologist in the community that you have access to to continue that discussion. I mean, a good place to start would just be your pediatrician because you probably see them more often than other doctors or psychologists,” Renk said.

Here is a list of resources families can turn to if they need help caring for children in mental health crisis:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call 988 to be connected to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Services are available in Spanish and English, as well as American Sign Language (ASL).

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