Five sixth-grade students at Highland Park Elementary School received threatening direct social media messages over the weekend from accounts impersonating their classmates.
The messages reportedly contain death threats, slurs, and graphic language. According to an email sent to Highland Park parents by the Monroe County Community School Corporation, students receiving the anonymous messages reported them to school officials.
No threats were made against the school itself, the email said.
“The families of these children were contacted immediately, and the messages were reported to local law enforcement,” the school said in the email.
Additional security will be present at the school while the investigation continues, according to MCCSC.
Parents and guardians have taken to social media, expressing fears about their children returning to school while the investigation is ongoing.
Anita Hall, grandparent of one student, wrote on Facebook that her granddaughter is scared to go back to school.
“She had been an absolute wreck and wouldn't even go outside by herself yesterday,” Hall wrote.
MCCSC did not respond to a request for comment.
Izzie Zhou, a doctoral candidate at Indiana University in cyberbullying and online harassment, said anonymous threatening messages can have lasting effects on children’s sense of safety.
The anonymity of the messages can make children wary or suspicious of those around them, she said.
“The children may find it harder to trust others, feel more anxious and vulnerable, and feel less safe at school,” Zhou said. “It may also make it harder for them to concentrate on schoolwork or enjoy activities.”
Zhou said student reactions to the situation will vary, and the support they receive from parents, teachers and other trusted adults can influence how they respond.
“If caregivers help children process the experience and teach them what to do if they encounter similar messages again, the children may feel better supported and more prepared to cope,” Zhou said.
The school corporation encouraged parents and guardians to talk with their children about reporting threatening or concerning messages to trusted adults and law enforcement.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the StopIt App link available on the MCCSC website.
