|Photo by Joselyn King| Jack Doyle, left, assistant principal at Wheeling Park High School, and Chalmer Moffett, assistant principal at Triadelphia Middle School, attend a regional school safety meeting Friday at Wheeling Park's White Palace sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Education.

WHEELING – Terror and hate groups are using online social platforms to recruit youth and coerce them into acts of violence and destruction – often forcing them to cut themselves or even commit suicide, an FBI agent said in Wheeling on Friday.

School and law enforcement representatives from across northern West Virginia came to Wheeling on Friday for a regional school security meeting sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Education.

“It is important that our school administrators and our school personnel understand the things that are happening to our kids through technology,” explained Jonah Adkins, director of school safety with the West Virginia DOE. “The other important thing is that, while we share this information with our students, we also want to infiltrate our communities with this information.

“Parents need to be aware when kids are home and using their devices to ensure that they are not being caught up in situations that could compromise them in the future,” Adkins added. “Parents need to be very aware of what apps they are using, and what social media they are using. They should know there are bad people out there trying to do bad things.”

The meeting began with a presentation on “Juvenile Violent Extremism And Online Terrorism” presented by Madison Moore, intelligence analyst with the FBI’s Pittsburgh office.

Moore spoke about the connection between online predators and domestic terrorism, and how child predators – as well as hate groups, terror groups and others bent on chaos in society – use such online tools such as the Roblox gaming system to make contact and obtain information from some of the most vulnerable youths. Typically, they approach those between the ages of 8-17, she explained.

Some of the predators can be extremist groups attempting to lure the young people into their way of thinking. They use bold, colorful graphics to attract the juvenile to reading their message. They may even offer gifts or the semblance of strong friendship to groom them,

Moore noted there are signs parents may watch for to see if their child is becoming a victim of one of these online groups. The first is when their child becomes preoccupied with their computer and video experiences, “and their social life is totally online,” she explained.

They continue to read the propaganda sent them by the organization and its members, and only live within that “echo chamber” – a place where the only information they consume comes from a hate or terrorist group.

The hate and terror groups count on this message – called “leakage” – to be passed on by members until it is believed as truth, Moore added.

Many of the online groups are bent on spreading violence and chaotic information, she continued. They can eventually coerce their members to send compromising photos of themselves, or order them to cut themselves or to maybe even commit suicide.

A lot of their images depict gore and sexually violent behavior, Moore said.

The hate and terrorists groups are bent on causing chaos and violence, and they encourage that action among their followers. Their goal is to tear down the world, then be among the strongest who rise up to power, she explained.

“For now, there is competition for power and clout within the groups,” Moore said. “They gather clout by competing on who can coerce the most victims to create the most violent content.”

She encouraged families to monitor their family’s online footprint for anything that’s out of the ordinary.

Adkins also was set to host a discussion about the State DOE’s new crisis response planning platform, which has been transitioned into an online platform.

“We will talk about the resources available to them, and the importance of planning for a disaster, and also the process of practicing the steps you have put into place,” he said. “It’s important students and teachers know what to do in the event of any emergency so when the time comes they automatically know what to do.

“Sometimes in the midst of a chaotic situation, your plans go out the window. But the more we practice and the more we drill, the more prepared our people are.”

Another presentation addressed crisis management tools available through the WVDOE’s West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS), Adkins said.

“If there is an emergency and we have to move kids off site, we have tools in there that ensure we get the right child back to the right parent or guardian,” he explained.

School safety “is everyone’s responsibility,” he continued.

He encourages everyone to download the “See-Send” app onto their phones. It is described as a nationwide tool for citizens to use if they witness or suspect suspicious activity is happening near them.

The app contains further information about what to look for and when it is necessary to send a suspicious activity report.