--- title: "When Your Child's School Goes Into Lockdown: What to Do While You Wait, How to Talk That Night, and Psalm 56 for the Fear" description: "What schools ask of parents during a lockdown, what the alert words mean, Psalm 56:3-4 for the fear, and how to talk that night." url: "https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown" lang: "en" published: "2026-09-24" modified: "2026-09-29" author: "Cal Hewitt" tags: ["school lockdown","fear","psalm 56","parents","children"] image: "https://biblenudge.com/og/blog-when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown.jpg" alternates: es: "https://biblenudge.com/es/blog/cuando-la-escuela-de-tu-hijo-entra-en-confinamiento.md" --- # When Your Child's School Goes Into Lockdown: What to Do While You Wait, How to Talk That Night, and Psalm 56 for the Fear [Cal Hewitt](https://biblenudge.com/about/cal-hewitt)Published September 24, 2026Updated September 29, 2026 - school lockdown - fear - psalm 56 - parents - children ![When Your Child's School Goes Into Lockdown: What to Do While You Wait, How to Talk That Night, and Psalm 56 for the Fear](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown/featured.jpg) On September 22, a mother outside Oak Forest High School in Illinois told [NBC Chicago](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/oak-forest-school-bomb-threat-what-we-know-after-armed-officers-sweep-suburban-school/3992445/), “I got more worried when I started opening social media and I saw helicopters and the SWAT were on top of the school.” If you are waiting now, keep your phone close and follow the updates from your own school, district or police, through the channels they name. Their instruction for this incident is the one to follow. ## If you only have a minute ### Right now Follow your school's messages, not the school gate. ### Words for the wait [Psalm 56:3](https://biblenudge.com/context/psalm-56-3-4), “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” ### Tonight Ask what your child heard, and listen first. ## Update, September 29, 2026 On September 25, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice issued [joint guidance on swatting threats](https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/dear-colleague-letters/2026-09-25/guidance-educational-institutions-swatting-threats) for schools and colleges in the United States. It is voluntary. It asks schools to prepare ahead: name the officials who lead family messages and notify police, train the staff who could take a threat call, and practice emergency decisions. When a threat arrives, it says to treat every threat as credible and to take safety steps first, before anyone can tell whether it is a hoax. Your school's own instruction is still the one to follow. Two questions you can ask your school: "Do we have a written plan for threats like this, and who tells families what is happening?" and "Once the danger has passed, how will we hear what is known and what support is available?" ## While you wait [Orland School District 135](https://www.orland135.org/resources/school-safety-within-d135/parents-role-during-a-lockdown) says, “Please do not call or rush to your child’s school,” since it “may actually be counterproductive to emergency response measures.” [Scottsdale Unified](https://www.susd.org/departments/safety/response-protocol) says, “If notified of a lockdown at your student's school, do NOT respond to the school,” and sends pickup directions by “text, email or robocall.” [San Diego Unified](https://www.sandiegounified.org/about/policies_procedures/emergency_lockdown_procedure) says, “Parents should not come to the campus until notified by the school to do so.” On contacting your child, practice differs. [Forney ISD](https://www.forneyisd.net/departments/police/school-emergencies-standard-response-protocol-srp) says “do NOT call your child” during a lockdown for a threat inside, and [Roanoke County Public Schools](https://www.rcps.us/about-us/safety-and-security) says, “DO NOT call or text your child.” [Coeur d’Alene Public Schools](https://www.cdaschools.org/page/emergency-communications) says, “If you get a call or text from your student, help them remain calm.” Your own school's rule is the one to keep. A teacher and parent wrote during one, in a post on Reddit's r/Teachers, [“I have a kid in this school. They are not answering my texts. My wife is blowing me up. I have a stone cold silent room.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1g58l0q/) A silent phone is often a quiet room doing what it was asked. ![A dark phone lying on a kitchen counter beside car keys and a half-finished mug of coffee](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown/the-kitchen-counter.jpg) *Close enough to hear the next message.* ## What the words in the message mean Many schools use the [Standard Response Protocol](https://evolution.iloveuguys.org/srp/) from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation ([2025 guidance](https://engage.iloveuguys.org/downloads/SRP%20K12%202025%20Operational%20Guidance%20V4.2.pdf)): - **Hold:** “Hold in your Room or Area. Clear the halls.” - **Secure:** “Secure! Get inside. Lock outside doors,” for a “Threat Outside.” - **Lockdown:** “Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight!”, for a “Threat Inside.” - **Evacuate:** “Evacuate to \[location\].” - **Shelter:** “Shelter for \[hazard and safety strategy\],” such as an earthquake. Some schools say “lockout” or another word; your school's own message and meaning are what count. ## Psalm 56, for the wait and for tonight The passage Bible Nudge offers for fear is [Psalm 56:3-4](https://biblenudge.com/context/psalm-56-3-4). David begins in danger: > 1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me. 2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. > When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? It is David's prayer while in danger from enemies, moving between fear and trust. Its first words admit the fear, and the rest is something to do while still afraid, which is where a parent watching a phone is. Say verse 3 once, under your breath, between messages. Later, hold the question, “What are you afraid of right now, if you say it plainly?” [Bible verses for fear of the future](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-fear-of-the-future) tells the story behind it, and [is it a sin to be afraid](https://biblenudge.com/blog/is-it-a-sin-to-be-afraid) gives John Calvin's reading. ## That evening, with your child The American Academy of Pediatrics, in [David J. Schonfeld's guide](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Talking-To-Children-About-Tragedies-and-Other-News-Events.aspx) updated in August 2025, says “Even the youngest child needs accurate information,” and gives the message underneath: “It’s okay if these things bother you. We are here to support each other.” With older children and teens, first ask what they have heard, and leave out “graphic or unnecessary details.” With a small child, try, “You were very brave sitting quietly. What was it like?” With a teenager, “What have you heard today, and what do you think happened?” Listen before correcting, and keep to what the police and school have said. ## Signs a child needs more, and going back The [National Child Traumatic Stress Network](https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//parents_guidelines_for_helping_youth_after_the_recent_shooting.pdf) lists common reactions, including “Feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry about the safety of self and others,” changed sleep and appetite, and clinginess, which generally ease with time. [HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Pages/How-Talk-to-Children-After-Act-Terrorism.aspx) says a child who stays very upset for several days, or has trouble at school, home or with friends, may need support beyond the family. If signs stay, call the school counselor or your doctor. The [Child Mind Institute](https://childmind.org/article/going-back-school-tragedy/) calls returning to routine an important milestone, and says a child may need extra reassurance. The decision is yours with the school. Ask what support is in place that day, and tell your child who to go to if scared. ## Your fear, and the teacher's The [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/shooting-aftermath) says, “After a traumatic event, it is typical for children (and adults) to experience a wide range of emotions, including fearfulness, shock, anger, grief, and anxiety,” and that children may be listening to adult conversations. Save the full talk for after bedtime, and give your fear somewhere to go: a friend, a spouse, a pastor. A teacher wrote in a post on Reddit's r/Teachers, [“It’s so sad trying to comfort these kids, in the dark, and try to remain calm myself.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1f9r99x/) Psalm 56:3 begins “When I am afraid,” which makes room for exactly this. For heavy weeks, see [bible verses for teachers](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-teachers) or [for overwhelmed moms](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-overwhelmed-moms). ## A parent's fear in the Bible, and words for bedtime Exodus 2 tells of a mother who “hid him three months,” then laid her son in a basket in the reeds, while “His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.” Everything within reach, then watching from a distance nobody could close: that was the morning outside the school gates. At the bedside, say two lines together. Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.” Psalm 3:5: “I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.” Catholic families may use the [Daily Blessing of a Child](https://www.usccb.org/prayers/daily-blessing-child): “May God bless and protect you.” For waking in the night, see [bible verses for nightmares](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-nightmares). ![A child’s backpack hanging on a hook by the front door in evening light](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown/the-backpack.jpg) *The same evening, a few hours on.* ## Things said kindly that land hard The [American Academy of Pediatrics](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Actions-Schools-Are-Taking-to-Make-Themselves-Safer.aspx) advises “not to provide false reassurance or minimize their distress.” A teacher on Reddit's r/Teachers described the expectation afterwards as [“Just jump up and teach, like nothing happened.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1g58l0q/) Lines to try instead: - For “It was only a hoax, it was nothing”: “The police found no one there, and it was still scary to sit in the dark. Both of those are true.” - For a promise nobody can give: “The grown-ups at school and at home are working hard to keep you safe, and you can tell me anything that scares you.” - For “Are you worried about going back?”, which the Child Mind Institute cautions against: “How are you feeling about tomorrow?” ## What happened in Oak Forest On September 22, Oak Forest High School went into a police-initiated lockdown shortly before 11 a.m. after a threat was phoned in to police, and armed officers swept the building. [NBC Chicago](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/oak-forest-school-bomb-threat-what-we-know-after-armed-officers-sweep-suburban-school/3992445/) reported police saying “there is no evidence that an armed individual or explosive device was ever present at Oak Forest High School or that students or staff were ever in actual danger from the reported threat.” No one was hurt, the building was cleared about 1 p.m., and [CBS Chicago](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/oak-forest-high-school-police-response/) reported the school was dismissed. NBC said the FBI investigation was ongoing; no arrest had been reported by September 24. A student told NBC, “we all sat in the corner of the classroom with the lights off.” The Educator's School Safety Network recorded 384 false shooting reports in US schools from the start of the 2022-23 school year to the end of March 2023, against 69 in all 2018-19, [TIME reported in April 2023](https://time.com/6269622/hoax-active-shooter-swatting-calls/). That is one group's count, not a national total. [ESSN](https://eschoolsafety.org/swatting) says “just a threat” can still traumatize students and staff. A false threat was still a frightening morning for everyone inside and everyone waiting. ## Support for the nights ahead If your child wants to talk to someone outside the family: in Canada, [Kids Help Phone](https://kidshelpphone.ca/need-help-now-text-us/), 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868; in the United Kingdom, [Childline](https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline/), 0800 1111; in Ireland, [ISPCC Childline](https://www.childline.ie/), 1800 66 66 66. For anyone: in the United States, call or text 988 for the [988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline](https://988lifeline.org/contact-us/), or [Crisis Text Line](https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/): “Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor.” In Canada, call or text [9-8-8](https://988.ca/). In the United Kingdom and Ireland, [Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) is 116 123. In Australia, [Lifeline](https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/national-services/lifeline-crisis-support) is 13 11 14. Anywhere else, [Find A Helpline](https://findahelpline.com/) lists services by country. ## Where to go next Tonight, ask your child what they heard and listen before answering, then say Psalm 56:3 together at the bedside. For anything else, [Bible Nudge](https://biblenudge.com/) can suggest one passage. [Find a passage](https://biblenudge.com/nudge). ## Words that come up here Tap a term to see what it means. **Yahweh.** The personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, often printed "the LORD". ## Share this page If somebody you know is carrying this, the link goes straight to the passage and what surrounds it. Nothing here asks them to sign up for anything. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown)[Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown&media=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhen-your-childs-school-goes-into-lockdown%2Ffeatured.jpg&description=When%20Your%20Child's%20School%20Goes%20Into%20Lockdown%3A%20What%20to%20Do%20While%20You%20Wait%2C%20How%20to%20Talk%20That%20Night%2C%20and%20Psalm%2056%20for%20the%20Fear) ## Related Articles - [Afraid of Falling Behind at Work as AI Changes Your Job: What Workers Report This Year, One Free First Step, and Psalm 56:3-4 to Pray](https://biblenudge.com/blog/afraid-of-falling-behind-at-work-as-ai-changes-your-job): Watching colleagues use AI and wondering about your own job? What PwC's September 2026 survey reports, one free first step for tonight, and Psalm 56:3-4 to pray. - [After You Stopped to Help at a Crash: Why It Keeps Replaying, What Helps in the First Weeks, and Psalm 56:3-4](https://biblenudge.com/blog/after-you-stopped-to-help-at-a-crash): You stopped and went toward a crash, and now it replays at night. What helps in the first weeks, who to call, and Psalm 56:3-4 for the hours after. - [When You Are Told to Evacuate for a Wildfire: What to Do in the First Hour, What the Levels Mean, and Psalm 56 for the Fear](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-you-are-told-to-evacuate-for-a-wildfire): Told to leave because of a wildfire? What to do first, what Level 1, 2 and 3 mean, where to get alerts, and Psalm 56:3-4 for the drive out and the night after.