Psychologist addresses string of school threats across several Maine communities

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Several Maine communities have been dealing with a string of threats made to their schools.

It’s a situation no one wants to be in, but officials say preparing for it is the best path forward.

Much like schools running drills about what would happen in the event of an emergency, TV5 spoke with a psychologist who says parents should do the same.

Dr. David Prescott says if something seems off, kids need to know how to handle it.

“We don’t want to expect that kids are going to tell their teachers if they think a student is a threat. But, really, most kids are going to tell their classmates if they plan to do something like this. So, do you know if you hear something like this, do you know who to talk to? A walk through or something like that,” said Dr. Prescott.

He also says it’s important to get your kids talking, but don’t press too hard.

He says a car ride can be a good time to get them to open up.