Amid a rash of threats to Valley-area schools, Phoenix police are urging parents to help take ownership of the disturbing trend and to begin a dialogue with their children about public safety.

“While police will aggressively investigate reports of criminal conduct, the solution to this growing problem is everyone’s responsibility,” Sgt. Jonathan Howard said in a media statement released Thursday afternoon. “If you or someone you know is struggling, take action.”

Police urged parents to help these children find the services they need before their behavior escalates.

Phoenix police alone have fielded about 50 threats to the city’s schools since the horrific Valentine’s Day shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. While many of these threats were deemed non-credible or non-actionable, a handful have resulted in arrests and confiscated firearms. The Arizona Republic has reported on 17 school threats throughout the state since Feb. 14.

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Howard’s message came on the heels of yet another school-threat arrest, this one of a 17-year-old boy. On Wednesday morning, Phoenix police began investigating a social-media threat targeting Paradise Valley High School.

The threat indicated that the boy would “commit acts of violence and self-harm on the school campus,” Howard’s statement said. Several students reported the threat to school administrators, and police located the boy on campus.

The boy was detained, and reportedly made statements to investigators regarding his involvement. No weapons related to the incident were located.

The suspect was held at the Juvenile Court Center, on suspicion of interference with or disruption of an educational institution and one count of threats. The first allegation is a Class 6 felony, the latter a Class 1 misdemeanor.

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Howard said while the incident is just the latest in multiple threats made to Valley schools in the past few weeks, it underscores several points that need to be discussed in the community: Recognizing the courage of the students who saw something and said something, as well as the school administrators who swiftly coordinated with police.

“Disruption of our schools is a felony and will be investigated vigorously and result in serious consequences for those who engage in this conduct, regardless of their intent,” he said. “Phoenix Police will spare no resources or effort to keep our children safe and hold anyone who threatens them fully accountable for their actions.”

“First, we need to recognize the courage of those students who came forward when they saw something and said something,” he said. “Second, school administrators coordinated swiftly with police to identify, locate and detain the student before any physical harm could occur.”

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