NEW YORK – A new app is making parents and law enforcement concerned for the safety of children.
Yik Yak is a free app that does not require a username or a password.
Once you log onto the app, users can post messages that are visible to anyone within a mile and a half of the posting location.
“Yik Yak is the latest app young people are using that their parents generally don’t know about,” explains Lindy Crescitelli, an anti-bullying advocate with Peace Dynamics.
“[It’s] encouraging young people to feel that they can be cruel without consequences,” Crescitelli said.
A 15-year-old student at Long Island’s Mount Sinai High School posted a bomb threat to Yik Yak, which sent police immediately to the school.
Officers were able to track down the poster and arrested the student.
He was charged with a Class D felony.
Creators of the app say whenever a threat is posted to the site, it immediately begins working with law enforcement agencies in the area to track down the suspect.
