Hoax bomb scare: Punishment no solution, work on mental health of students, say experts

Tribune News Service

Neha Saini

Amritsar, September 13

In five days, two incidents involving students circulating fake threatening messages to bomb schools have certainly stunned parents, teachers police personnel besides civil society.

Early intervention in most cases can be remedial. Such cases indicate the need for interventional programs in schools, communities and even making counselling an integral part of school infra. Dr Priyanka Khot, Psychiatrist

On September 7, two students of DAV Public School, Lawrence Road, were found behind the hoax bomb scare only to get the school shut down for the day to evade examinations. Five days later, similar case emerged from Spring Dale School. This time too, two students were found behind it to evade exam.

Police Commissioner Arun Pal Singh has reached out to different schools, who want to take the police help in make students aware of cybercrime.

In case of the DAV school students, they were let off with a warning given they were juvenile. But the second incident has resulted in police filing FIR against the parents of students responsible for the act. DAV school management rusticated the students and Spring Dale School management too is set to take strict action against the students responsible.

Dr Priyanka Khot, a psychiatrist who specialises in child and adolescent psychology, says multiple factors can be held accountable for children to behave or act out in a self-destructive or violent manner. “Punishment, in most of these cases, works only as a short-term solution, where the actual cause of such behaviour might get overlooked. While there is no specific answer as to why these students did such a thing, whether knowing or not knowing about its consequences, the issue really requires a collaborative intervention of police, administration, schools, teachers and parents.”

Besides children, parents and teachers too need training in handling any emotional or psychological changes in children, she says, adding that one in seven kids aged between 10 and 17 years faces mental health issues.

“One needs to identify and early intervention in most cases can be remedial. Several incidents like the Nuh killing of a student by a fellow student or another such incident in UP, are all but pointing towards the need to set up interventional programmes in schools, communities and even making counselling an integral part of school infrastructure. Training teachers in handling aggressive behaviour and defiant behavior might help in such extreme activities. Parents need to be told to seek expert help for their kids, identify for any defiant or violent behavior at home," she says.

Dr JPS Bhatia, a neuro-psychologist at Bhatia Hospital, says that technology detox and communication is the key to keep a track of the child’s behavioural changes. “Psycho-diagnostic evaluation and parent-teacher training can help in long run to minimise such acts,” he adds.

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