NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Police patrols at schools and classes on lockdown are becoming a common sight in Connecticut, with at least three dozen school threats reported across the state this school year, alone.
On Sept. 23, officers responded to Vance Elementary School in New Britain with guns drawn after a threatening phone call was made to the main office.
“We were having a big lockdown, and it was so scary,” one first grader told FOX61.
Thankfully, the threat was ruled out and everyone was physically okay, but experts warn that scenes like this can have a lasting mental health impact on a young, developing brain.
“Psychologically, they can be traumatized and can develop PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Dr. Mahreen Raza, a child psychiatrist at Saint Francis Hospital, said.
With school threats and lockdowns becoming more common in Connecticut and beyond, she said it’s important for parents to have open conversations early and often.
“Being a parent, you have to be proactive," she said. "With young kids, you have to provide a safe space,” Raza said. “You have to encourage questions. You have to ask your kids what did they do, what did they hear?"
She urges parents to ask their kids how they felt in the moment and how they are feeling now.
“They have to be reassured, validated that it’s okay to be anxious. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be confused,” Raza said.
Families should also explain the importance of school drills and having a plan.
“You have to reassure them that it’s a rare thing to happen, but when it does happen, it’s serious,” she said.
After having this dialogue, doctors instruct parents to be mindful of their child’s behavior and take action if something seems off.
“If the kid is isolating, doesn’t want to go to school, feeling scared, anxious, avoiding places, those are the red flags to take them to a professional to seek help,” Raza said.
Police departments say they take every school threat seriously and are determined to hold people, young and old, accountable.
Just this week, Waterbury police announced the arrest of a 13-year-old accused of making a threat on social media.
It’s why education officials also encourage parents to talk to their children about the consequences of making a threat.
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Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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