Bomb threat

Bomb threats were used to incite fear and violence during the American Civil Rights Movement, during which leader of the movement Martin Luther King Jr. received multiple bomb threats during public addresses, and schools forced to integrate faced strong opposition, resulting in 43 bomb threats against Central High School in Arkansas being broadcast on TV and the radio. ==Motivations==

Supposed motives for bomb threats include: "humor, self assertion, anger, manipulation, aggression, hate and devaluation, omnipotence, fantasy, and psychotic distortion, ideology, retaliation," and creating chaos. Many of the motives based on personal emotion are speculative. Bomb threats that aren’t intended to be pranks are often made as parts of other crimes, such as extortion, arson, or aircraft hijacking. Actual bombings for malicious destruction of property, terrorism, or murder are often perpetrated without warning. Some threats are racially motivated, while others are made against houses of worship or research and medical facilities. Extortion Bomb threats made as part of extortion schemes demand some form of bribe, payment, or incentive to prevent the use of a bomb. The payment can be made in the form of cash, Bitcoin, or forcing the victim to adhere to demands. Hoax device A hoax device has the appearance of a destructive device or biological weapon, and is intended to cause a reasonable person to assume the item was a truly destructive device capable of causing injury or death. Because of the potential for loss of life, injury, and property damage of a bomb detonation, bomb threats are treated as realistic and maliciously intended by authorities until proven otherwise. Bomb threats made as jokes or pranks, especially those made against schools, annually waste thousands of dollars in law enforcement costs, other government resources, and educational time. False flag False flag bomb threats are made to create the appearance of a specific group or person being responsible for an activity to disguise the true perpetrators. Political Bomb threats can be part of politically motivated operations. For example: It was reportedly used as a pretext by the Belarusian government to divert Ryanair Flight 4978 to Minsk to arrest Raman Pratasevich, an oppositional figure. As a result the nation was accused of committing state terrorism. ==Targets==

Schools and universities Bomb threats are often made toward educational institutions. They are typically by students who are overwhelmed by academic pressure, are resentful of the school, and/or are acting on violent impulses. Their frustration may be aimed at specific groups or individuals that are part of the school’s community. During 1999— which was the most recent year with publicly published data as of 2005— roughly 5% of bomb threats made in the United States targeted schools. Over a decade later bomb threats against schools saw a 33% increase of while threats against residences decreased by 35% between 2014 and 2016. Perpetrators of bomb threats are usually immediately expelled or fired from the school. On December 16, 2013 at approximately 8:30 a.m. the final exams at Harvard University were disrupted by several anonymous emails threatening to plant shrapnel bombs at various locations on the campus. The FBI charged Eldo Kim, a sophomore at Harvard, for the false bomb threats on the following day. Kim agreed to take responsibility for his attempt to cancel the fall 2013 final exams on November 19th, 2014. Following his legal agreement, he agreed to publish his confession in The Harvard Crimson on November 25th, pay restitution to law enforcement agencies, complete a rehabilitative "diversionary program", remain under house arrest for four months, and perform 750 hours of community service. Public figures Bomb threats against political figures such as the President of the United States, occur regularly and are illegal under the United States Code Title 18, Section 871 law. The British royal family, specifically Queen Elizabeth, has faced bomb threats based on blame for the actions of the British government. Celebrities may also be the victims of bomb threats, especially those who have expressed political views, or those who are leaders of political causes. Government and public infrastructure during the 2008 Salon du livre de Paris, after a bomb threat Many buildings are the recipients of bomb threats, including transportation hubs such as airports and train stations, power plants, medical facilities, and government buildings such as the Pentagon, US embassies and the Casa Rosada. Among these, airports, city halls, and courthouses are most likely to experience repeated bomb threats. Among bomb threats related to transportation, threats and false information knowingly provided about bombs on airplanes have the most severe response. Private institutions and businesses Private institutions and businesses, including as banks, department stores, malls, casinos, restaurants, manufacturing plants, and truck stops, have been the recipients of bomb threats for various reasons. Some bomb threats are made because of ideological differences or opposition to the mission or perceived mission of the institution, such as those made against Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics, news organizations such as CNN, From 1983 to 1992, the World Trade Center experienced roughly 350 bomb threats and scares for various reasons. Some threats are motivated by money, involving an offender demanding a payoff from a bank or department store over a public phone. Other reasons for attacking a restaurant or shopping center include revenge or vandalism, the primary motives found in a study analyzing 69 Finnish offenders. ==Methods==

A majority of bomb threats are perpetrated by middle-aged men who make these threats via a telephone call. Bomb threats may be made in letters or notes, Electronic bomb threats may be made over websites, as in the case of the emailed wave of 2018 Bitcoin bomb threats in the United States and Canada. They can also be made face-to-face. In other scenarios, a message mentioning bombs may be interpreted as a threat based on context, such as an email to a school principal reading "bomb," a description of a bomb that was placed, or other communications. ==Credibility and response==

Most bomb threats are false alarms which do not involve actual explosives, only the incitement of fear. and arrests may be made even for bomb threats made falsely as in most jurisdictions even hoaxes are a crime. Organizations involved in responding to a bomb threat may also include anti-terrorism government agencies, fire departments, and other emergency services. When a large facility is involved, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to ensure the absence of any bomb or other hazardous device or substance. A search is conducted for out-of-place packages that have features such as unusual shapes, sounds, smells, leakage, or electrical components. Bomb-sniffing dogs may be used as part of this search. whereas a "bomb scare" refers to situations of imminent risk, such as the discovery of a suspicious bag. United States A total of 1536 bomb threat incidents took place in the US in 2016, 254 of which were made against businesses and 186 of which were made to residences. New York law makes it a "Class E Felony ... to issue a false bomb threat directed toward a school in New York State." Even a false bomb threat has a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison. In Orange County in North Carolina, a person may face "a felony charge, a 365-day suspension, revocation of his or her driver’s license, and a civil lawsuit of up to $25,000." the existence of a target, is not relevant. This is because verbal acts which inherently cause panic are not protected under Freedom of speech. Society Bomb threats are likely influenced by the power of suggestion and mass media, with threats likely to be made against targets with recent media coverage. Analysis suggests bomb threats against nuclear energy facilities tend to follow greater publicity of nuclear power problems. Because of copycat trends, some schools are moving toward policies of immediate criminal action against students caught making such threats, regardless of motivation. == Notable incidents ==

• 2006 NFL bomb threat hoax • 2012 University of Pittsburgh bomb threats • 2016 Australian school bomb threats • 2017 Jewish Community Center bomb threats • October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts • 2018 Bitcoin bomb threats • 2021 Ryanair Flight 4978 bomb threat hoax ==See also==