VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — School safety is a topic on the minds of many parents recently and over the weekend the Virginia Beach Police Department investigated a report of a potential threat made at a middle school.
Police later determined there was no credible threat but these types of incidents raise a question on how threats are handled.
"We can no longer look the other way and assume that it's child play and let children work it out," Dr. Sarah Williams, a child psychologist, said.
Watch: Teen girl charged with felony after threatening to 'shoot up' Tabb High School
Regarding school threats, Dr. Williams says it's never a laughing matter.
Over the weekend one Virginia Beach parent contacted News 3 about an alleged threat made by a student at Virginia Beach Middle School on Friday.
Virginia Beach Police told News 3 that the alleged statement made by a student did not pose a credible threat.
Watch: Teen girl arrested following report of possible threats made to Maury High
The Virginia Beach Police Department said for a threat to be credible it has to pass certain criteria such as if a threat was made and looking at the student's history.
The scare comes days after a deadly school shooting in Georgia.
Dr. Williams says it's more important now than ever for parents to speak with their children about what they may say.
"We have to intervene at all levels and when we think about this as parents we have to think about what if this child says this and follow suit with it," Dr. Williams said.
Heather Sipe, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, said before the school year starts teachers are trained to report these types of incidents and if they see something to say something.
Watch: 2 teachers, 2 students killed in deadly shooting at Apalachee High School
"The reporting process for a parent, for a student, for a staff member is to contact the school's principal," Sipe said. "If it happens during the school day you can contact the security officer in the school it's one of the great things about having the school resource officers as well."
Sipe said when it comes to threats if the police become involved that the schools can only release information police find appropriate to release at the time.
When it comes to school security, before the start of the school year, News 3 asked Virginia Beach Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson why schools did not have weapon scanners, unlike other schools in Hampton Roads.
He said it is not on the school board's radar as of this moment based on findings by the Virginia Beach Students Safety Task Force.
"That group came back with a recommendation that in their studies no metal detection systems that were worthy of addressing the problem and recommended we not proceed," Robertson said.
