4.6 DIGITAL DANGERS: HOW TO THINK ABOUT INCORPORATING ASSESSMENT OF DIGITAL MEDIA INTO SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENTS

Abstract

Objectives: Adolescents in the United States spend over 7 hours daily on screens, and through the use of a smartphone, the majority of youth have been able to integrate digital media continuously into multiple facets of daily life. Even before the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, youth included screens in many aspects of growth and development, including academic achievement, family and social connections, and identity exploration. Thus, it has become increasingly challenging to keep a teenager’s actions on digital media outside of the school perimeter, especially when these actions may appear malicious or threatening in nature. This presentation will: 1) help child and adolescent psychiatrists review the most common digital media–related incidents that might precipitate a school threat assessment;and 2) provide guidance to parents and school officials regarding how to approach these digital media–related threats and navigate the student’s continued use of these media. Methods: This presentation will review common ways in which safety concerns might arise from student behaviors on digital media. Using case examples, we will help participants to evaluate digital media–based threats differently from those made directly in person. Finally, we will guide participants through drafting media plans for students who engage in online threatening behaviors. Results: Schools may cite numerous safety concerns regarding a student’s online behavior including cyberbullying, involvement in extremist forums/fringe groups, or even gaming. While the substantive nature of all potential threats must be determined, digital media in particular may facilitate a teenager’s participation in online aggression through a lack of face-to-face accountability and group-think. After a threat is made, the initial inclination may be to recommend removal of a teenager’s access to digital media;however, this decision is not without ramifications, and as such, we recommend the use of concrete media planning. Conclusions: Digital media will remain a constant in adolescents’ lives, and therefore, threatening behavior will continue to make its way into the school from cyberspace. For this reason, it is imperative that child and adolescent psychiatrists who interface with schools have awareness of how the virtual world can influence aggressive behavior and how to help schools respond to digital threats. AGG, EDUC, SAC