Last year, a bizarre craze that saw people dressing as "Killer Clowns" made headlines as it swept across the globe. The trend, which began in North Carolina after a woman saw “clowns in the woods whispering and making strange noises,” quickly spread to other places such as the UK, where reports of pranksters in masks and costumes came flooding in.
Many stories at the time were accused of being false or exaggerated, and - according to reports - nobody was seriously hurt by anyone wearing a costume. Despite this, there were still confirmed instances of clowns terrorising people, and the hype really affected some individuals - especially those with coulrophobia (a fear of clowns).
Now, police are warning people that the trend might re-surge due to the release of 'It'. The film, which is based on the iconic book by Stephen King, comes out in theatres this month, and is expected to spark another wave of people dressing in costumes.
As part of a community awareness bulletin, The Pennsylvania State Police released a statement saying that, "It is anticipated that "creepy clown" sightings could be reported starting as soon as September, in part due to the fact that the movie IT will be released in theatres."
So, should we be worried?
Last year, there were several worrying incidents which certainly went beyond what could be described as a "prank". In the UK, 17-year-old Michael March was jailed after terrorising a pregnant woman. The teenager had chased the woman and her partner down the road while brandishing a foot-long axe. Despite claiming that he wasn't going to hurt them, March was still charged with possession of a weapon.
In another instance, a 13-year-old boy was arrested for scaring people in the street. One witness, a 17-year-old girl, spoke of her terror when she said that, "As I saw the full clown costume, I noticed the mask and I just turned round and ran back up to the top of the street and every time I was looking over my shoulder it was still chasing me." The boy was in possession of a knife at the time, and was given a warning about his behaviour but eventually released.
However, with regards to the most recent fears, there have been no real causes for concern just yet. Sgt. Jeff Flynn of the New Jersey State Police reassured people that there was nothing to be worried about, and that "back to school safety" should be the primary concern around this time of year. In a statement, he said:
"Since we can't foresee the clowns coming back, we recommend kids walk to and from school in groups, don't talk to strangers and know what to do if they're grabbed. These are the tips we've given out for decades and they're what people should be familiarised with now."
So, there you have it. For now, the worry that "killer clowns" could be returning seems mostly to be the result of fear-mongering, and there's nothing to actually back up the concerns. Hopefully, the only scary clowns we'll see this year will be at Halloween - and we still have a while to prepare for that.
