The departments of Education and Justice have issued joint guidance at the start of a new school year, instructing institutions on how to prepare for and respond to swatting incidents.
Swatting refers to falsely reporting an incident of violent crime, such as a shooting, that triggers a law enforcement response to the location. Such false reports disrupt the normal functions of an educational institution, including hampering sensitive research activities and impacting thousands of hours of classroom instruction.
“Schools often respond with shelter-in-place or lockdown orders, which can cause chaos and other harmful consequences when campuses are not well-prepared, including inflicting significant trauma to students, teachers, staff, and families,” the Education Department said in a Sept. 25 statement….