The fear of clowns has plagued many people since childhood. The neologism “coulrophobia” is now commonly used to describe the fear that people have for clowns used at birthday parties and other events, but a new kind of clown is redefining the term.

By “new kind of clown,” I mean people who have made the decision to dress up as clowns with the intent to cause panic and terror among mass populations. Original clown sightings began in South Carolina in mid-August, but became more recurrent from late August to early September, with original reports stating children in an apartment complex had seen clowns and were being tempted into following them into the woods.

Clowns have been spotted in 34 states throughout the country, eight Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Mexico. Indiana is one of the states that has had its fair share of clown sightings reported, with some clowns even being reported here at Saint Mary’s and at Notre Dame. Students received an email on October 4^th informing them of a clown sighting on the Avenue around 11:36 P.M., and another one on October 6^th forwarded from Notre Dame Security Police Chief Keri Kei Shibata, informing students of a social media post placing a clown sighting on campus, but informing students it was a hoax and there was no immediate threat to the community. Additionally, some students received messages from their RAs alerting them to a possible prank where male students from Holy Cross College planned to dress up and scare Saint Mary’s students.

While the clown sightings have been of large importance in recent media, most of the clown sightings around the country have been of little threat to the safety of the people. Students should still remain cautious and take precautions when going out after dark, including walking in groups, carrying pepper spray (and knowing how to properly use it), and reporting any suspicious activity to Saint Mary’s Campus Security at 574-284-5000 or Notre Dame Security Police at 574-631-5555.