Developing Practical Responses to Social Media Threats Against K–12 Schools: An Overview of Trends, Challenges, and Current Approaches

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) asked the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) to provide enhanced tools for kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools and school systems to improve school safety. As part of this task, HSOAC analysts drafted a series of reports based on comprehensive literature reviews of school safety and security and interviews with stakeholders from the K-12 school community. This report draws on the existing literature and guidance for schools on assessing social media and/or anonymous threats against schools. We also draw on data collected on social media threats against schools, as well as information from a series of interviews with federal-, state-, district-, and local-level stakeholders from across the country to discuss their practices to assess and respond to social media threats against schools. The primary audiences for this research are school-and district-level administrators and school safety personnel. State, local, tribal, and territorial government and law enforcement personnel, as well as school-related associations and stakeholder groups, might also be interested in this research. A note to readers: This report contains material about school violence that some may find distressing.