JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<textarea></textarea>

JavaScript

function getCaret(whatever) {return 0;} //just to prevent errors since I don't have your original functions. omit!

$(document).ready(function() {
	$('textarea').bind('keydown', function(e) {
		var currentIndex = getCaret($(e.target).get(0));
		if (e.which == 9 ) {
			if (e.shiftKey) {
                console.log("bwd")
				searchBackward($(e.target), currentIndex);
			} else {
                console.log("fwd")
				searchForward($(e.target), currentIndex);
			}
			return false;
		}
	});
});