ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The beginning of the 2024-25 schoolyear has been somewhat troublesome for many districts across the country, including those here at home - with numerous schools reportedly dealing with possible threats. They often lead to lockdowns and lockouts that can last for hours, instilling fear in parents and children alike. Experts in recent weeks have called these "copycat threats," perhaps piggybacking off the school shooting in Georgia in early September that left four people dead. 4 killed, 9 injured in Apalachee High School shooting; 14-year-old suspect in custody #BREAKING UPDATE: Investigators say the threat was written by the same student who first brought it to their attention. Administrators said he told them he did it because he wanted a day off.https://t.co/rHkIoWW5yy— News 8 WROC (@News_8) September 19, 2024 Just last week, a Palmyra-Macedon student was arrested and charged with a felony for making what was described as an empty threat toward the high school. Investigators later said it was written by the student who had intentions of getting a day off. Many of these possible threats have been making rounds on social media. On Facebook Thursday, the Lyons Central School District in Wayne County posted that officials were aware of a threat circulating on social media in recent days, ensuring that it was not credible in nature. The district wrote in part, "Those who make inappropriate or threatening messages will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you have any concerns, please contact your student's principal." Law enforcement agencies have acknowledged these alleged threats, largely considering a bulk of them hoaxes. But it's still left a lot of parents questioning whether they should be sending their kids to school at all. In this post, one parent, who's name and photo have been redacted for safety reasons, reposted a threat online writing, "Exactly why I just picked my son up from school & he’s not going back. Thank you all for making these kids life scarier than it already is. My son doesn’t even know it yet but he’s being homeschooled from now on. Idc [I don't care] I’m doneeee" Note: identifying, sensitive information and vulgar language have been redacted. Shortly after this post and a number of others made rounds online, the Chemung County Sheriff's Office announced that an investigation found none of these threats credible, attributing it to a nationwide rise in swatting hoaxes. But it's posts like these that law enforcement urge the public to stop sharing around on social media, and instead report it directly to authorities. pic.twitter.com/s1zRF1lH1B— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) September 20, 2024 News 8 asked the FBI what its office has been seeing in recent weeks. In a response, officials said, “The FBI takes potential hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. We work closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action. As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”  Reports of any threat should not be posted to social media, even if you tag law enforcement, officials said. Instead, folks are urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI or write to them online at tips.fbi.gov. How to approach tough conversations with children and teenagers The stress of these potential threats has been a heavy weight to bare for parents and their children. When addressing these topics, The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester (formerly, Bivona Child Advocacy Center) said it starts with the community, and being aware. Students return to class in Rochester, discussion on safety after deadly Georgia school shooting According to the CACGROC, one out of every four students have been, or will be exposed to a traumatic event. Officials advise the community to know what's going on and understand basic safety procedures, recognize warning signs of danger, respond quickly to any red flags and refrain from placing blame on anyone to reduce stigmatization. Earlier this month, News 8 heard from Demario Strickland, the interim superintendent at Rochester City School District. He suggested starting positively when bringing these topics up. “You eventually will hear if something else is on their mind and the parent can be our first indicator, or the first person that can actually let us know that there may be some harm that someone is experiencing,” Strickland explained. UCI School of Social Ecology reported that while its important parents start the conversation, it's equally as important for them to listen to their kids who may have heard different things online and clear up any misinformation. For young children, the report suggests that parents can focus on the positives; stories of bravery as opposed to exposing them to particularly violent scenarios and graphic photos which, according to the report, can be "unnecessarily damaging." With older children, the report goes on to say, "Allowing the adolescent to feel like they are part of the solution can be both healing and powerful," suggesting parents have an even broader conversation about how laws work, and what could be changed. It further said it's important for parents to remain calm and level-headed when talking about these things, and monitoring news consumption including how teens might be acquiring their news.