Two women in the US have been arrested following a so-called "creepy clown" sighting in the US, while police in Australia warned that the trend has spread to Victoria.

Key points: People in clown masks reportedly threatening children and forcing schools to shut in US

People in clown masks reportedly threatening children and forcing schools to shut in US Police warn clown craze has hit Australia but will not be tolerated

Police warn clown craze has hit Australia but will not be tolerated Psychologist says "copycatting as phenomenon is nothing new"

People in clown masks have caused fear and panic in the US, reportedly threatening children and forcing schools to shut.

The latest creepy clown sighting took place in Roseville, Michigan on Thursday and led to the arrest of two 18-year-old women, Jamie Salinis and Elandra Sledge, local media reported.

Salinis and Sledge had dressed as scary clowns and jumped out and chased after two 14-year-olds.

"It is a prank and the perpetrators probably think it's funny but it's not. It's terrifying people," said Roseville's police chief, James Berlin.

Salinis and Sledge have been charged with disorderly conduct and are being held in county jail with bail set at $US10,000, according to local media.

Victoria Police said the clown craze had taken hold in Melbourne, and warned of a zero-tolerance approach.

Though they declined to be interviewed, Victoria Police told the ABC there had been three separate reports in suburban Melbourne on Friday.

'Difficult to say' what is behind trend

Psychologist Lisa Warren said it was difficult to know what was behind it all.

Jamie Salinis and Elandra Sledge were charged with disorderly conduct. ( ABC News )

"Whether this is about some young people copying each other, promotion for a movie, it's difficult to say," she said.

"Copycatting as a phenomenon is nothing new."

Dr Warren said the threatening nature of some of the clown behaviour was concerning.

"Any occasion where a person dresses up, behaves in a way threatening to others, [should be] always taken seriously," she said.

"What's intriguing is a clown suit, a degree of anonymity, [makes it] easier to get away with anti-social behaviours."

Stephen King's novel It may be inspiration for clowns

Dr Warren said being clear "about what's acceptable and what's not" could help police.

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"If they're not causing offence they can do what they like," she said.

"[But] if their behaviour [causes] others concern for their personal safety — lunging, standing close, threatening words, showing weapons, anything like that should be taken seriously [and] reported to police."

In the US, some of the reported clown sightings that have turned out to be made up.

Many believe Stephen King's 1986 novel It, which tells the story of a supernatural being that appears as a clown to terrorise the residents of a small Maine town, to be the inspiration for the clown sightings.

Clown sightings were first reported in South Carolina in August when police began getting reports of clowns standing silently by roadsides, lurking near laundromats and trying to lure children into the woods with bags of cash and green laser lights.

Last month, police in North Carolina reported a wave of clown sightings, suggesting a slow migration in the direction of the fictional town of Derry, Maine, where King's clown carried out his rampage.

ABC/Reuters