Stopping Social Media Threats Is Up To Everyone: Ocean Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — How do we stop the tide of social media threats toward schools? Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer says it comes down to two things: parents monitoring their children and kids exercising good judgment.

As school officials and law enforcement spent Friday trying to reassure parents, staff and students that the schools were safe in the wake of a TikTok challenge that suggested violence and threats against schools nationwide, Billhimer said it will take a collective effort of the community to curb the activity.

"We have been expending more time and resources lately responding to and investigating social media threats," Billhimer said Friday by email, noting that he was referring to law enforcement at every level, from the FBI and the state Office of Homeland Security to the county prosecutor’s and local police. "Collectively we are remaining vigilant and thoroughly investigating every threat."

"There is no margin for error as the safety of our children and everyone that works in our schools is of paramount importance," Billhimer said.

But he said parents have an important role to play in curtailing the behavior.

"Our jobs would be a lot easier if parents were aware of what their kids were doing and saying on social media," he said. "Parents and guardians should know what their kids are posting, what apps they are using and who their 'friends' are on these apps."

Billhimer, who has two school-aged children, said he understands the challenges.

"I’m keenly aware that there is only so much time in a day – parenting is hard, but we all have to do our part to stem this tide of violent threats on social media," he said. "We need to teach our kids the difference between right and wrong and that there will be consequences for any behavior that puts others at risk. We share this collective responsibility."

Kids have think more carefully about what they are doing and sharing on social media, Billhimer said.

"For all the kids attending school here in Ocean County, and for kids everywhere, you have some responsibility in this too," he said. "I urge you to think twice before you post something that could be perceived as a threat or is a threat."

"Think twice before you forward or repost someone else’s threat of violence. Think about the ramifications," he said. "You should be aware that we will know about it and we will investigate."

"We will follow the evidence wherever it leads us — and if it leads us to your phone or your social media account, we will see everything on your phone and in your social media history. It’s all there. So please be prudent and exercise good judgment," he said.

Billhimer said law enforcement in Ocean County "will continue to track down every threat and investigate each to their natural conclusion."

"Whether it’s a knock on the door of the family home, a search warrant for an IP address or a search warrant for the family home, we will continue to pursue all investigative leads and when warranted, prosecute those individuals, whether they are adults or juveniles, to the fullest extent of the law," he said.

He said he shares the concerns parents have about the safety of the schools, "but I know that we are doing everything we can, leveraging all available resources to make sure we provide a safe environment as our kids head into school each day."

He reiterated the message that has resulted in a number of investigations of possible threats in the last few weeks at several school districts in the county:

"If you see something on social media that’s troubling, any threat whatsoever, tell someone – a parent, a teacher, a guidance counselor or school administrator. If you see something, say something. We will track it down."

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