So the context of that kid, he learnt that stuff at home. His parents were famous for calling the police and city on their neighbours. The peak of it was July 1st, people were firing off fireworks. They called the police to say someone was shooting/bombing their house. The police obviously show up in force big time. They closed blocks of the neighbourhood only to later find out they had a history of false police reports. False firefighter stuff saying open pit fires of their neighbours were illegal. etc.
After the tattle involving me. Me and my friend were taken aside and were very explicitly explained to what we should do. This is our fathers and teachers in the same room. They knew we would want to fight but they said no, you simply never talk or be near that kid again. Complete social ostracizing, never touch the kid. Except after we started doing that... we'd be playing foot hockey and if he'd ask to join, we'd immediately stop playing and say we were done and walk away from him. A few times he ran to steal our tennis ball and demand to be included. The whole class got in on it. Literally nobody would talk to him or talk near him.
My brother in a younger grade did the same knowing he might tattle on them. Older grades did the same. After a couple weeks of literally no one talking to him, he would spend recess standing next to the teacher. Then he disappeared for a couple weeks. He ended up in the hospital with what I would expect to be psychiatric issues. Can you imagine being socially isolated in elementary school?
When he got back? We were all evil and should be punished blah blah. His new job was to ensure the teachers knew about every infraction anyone did. He doubled down on it, didn't work out when he went after a 2 grades older bully and got quite injured. Nothing major, serious bruising. The teachers were even hesitant to help him. Then one day he comes up to me like first thing in the morning saying his parents want me and my friend to come to his house. I was like hell to the no.
Then few days later I didnt even do anything wrong and teacher demanded us and our parents be at the school for a meeting. We were expecting suspension but ended up they wanted to make peace. His parents were very concerned but were so angry when I explained what happened. I refused to agree to any peace, that I had done nothing wrong. Which got most of the room chuckling... but after that day he sure stopped his tattling.
More on topic, you'd expect false reports of threats to children to be evenly distributed across the population. If so, that's a mass media issue. If the reports come repeatedly from just a few people, it's those people whose behavior needs correction.
I'm probably the worst. Definite shame on me.