Don’t Be Afraid to Report Suspicious Behavior
After watching hours of the horrific tragedy that occurred in Newtown, CT I started thinking about the discussion of gun control and realized we all need to focus on people control. When we hear someone threatening to commit a crime or if we notice that someone acting in a way that is not usual for that person, we must do something–even if that person happens to be our own child. We must also need to be aware of our neighborhoods and surroundings, and report any odd or suspicious behavior.
Many people are utilizing social media and openly write things that can be viewed by the general public. For example, recently Shannen Doherty had a fan threaten to commit suicide if she did not call her. The first thing she did was contact the police in the city that the fan lives. Fortunately they found the fan and were able to control the situation.
I myself have seen things on social media like scams and hacking. I recently noticed one of my friend’s account was hacked so I immediately called to let her know. There was also a gentleman in England who was threatening suicide, so I reported that as well. I am grateful to know that he is fine.
Sadly, I have another story where I dropped the ball and didn’t react soon enough–soemthing that will never happen again.
My oldest daughter had a crush on a boy she’d known since elementary school. I got to know him a bit when I volunteered in their computer lab; he seemed to be a nice, outgoing boy, but was a bit on the wild side.
When they were in high school my daughter told me she had been chatting online with this young man and said was talking about setting the school on fire. I told her to try to talk him out of it, but I assumed he was just kidding and was trying to get some kind of a reaction from her.
I was shocked to find out that the boy did end up setting fire to the high school’s cafeteria the following weekend and was arrested. I felt terrible that I did not alert the school officials and the local police department.
One way we can avoid this type of situation—as well as tragedies like Newtown—is to become familiar with our neighborhood and surroundings. We need to make sure our children have someone they can talk to, such as coaches and ministers. And I would especially take note of all social media interactions, not only with our own children but with people in general. If you read a suspicious comment, you should report it to the proper authorities. I know I will. Let’s make our communities– no matter how big or small– safer places for our families to live in.
