This article is authored by Dr. Scott Poland and was originally published online in Campus Safety.. Dr. Scott Poland discusses the four-step process of conducting a school threat assessment and provides some accompanying scenarios and suggestions. Additionally, there were 25 in 2019 and 24 in 2018. No other model of threat assessment has demonstrated effectiveness in controlled studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Scott Poland discusses the four-step process of conducting a school threat assessment and provides some accompanying scenarios and suggestions. Ohio's 133rd General Assembly enacted House Bill 123, the "Safety and Violence Education Students (SAVE Students) Act," regarding school security and youth suicide awareness education and training. Create and Promote Safe School Climates. To learn more about establishing and implementing a threat assessment program, view this webinar where we discuss: Liberty Mutual is a leading provider of insurance solutions for schools and other public entities. If the law enforcement officer is not a district staff member, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) may need to be developed that outlines the relationship between school staff and law enforcement and outlines what law enforcement responsibilities will be in the BTAM process. It helps them determine whether a threat is substantial and what the next steps should be. They seize her computer which has no hit list or postings about violence. Prince George's County Public Schools(PGCPS), JCPS Streamlines PD Management and Gains Valuable Insights to Improve District PD The Customer Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky. B tells the police he was joking and S never made a threat against the school. Threats may or may not result in school suspension. Professor Dewey Cornells team pioneered this work in 2002, and their research on school violence and effective threat prevention, used across the United States, remains a trusted framework in prevention. Behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) is a fact -based, systematic process designed to identify, assess, and manage potentially dangerous or violent situations. The deadline to implement these teams is March 24, 2023. One critical resource they can turn to is the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG . Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center. NTAC Chief Dr. Lina Alathari and Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist Steven Driscoll present the findings from NTACs "Mass Attacks in Public Spaces - 2018" report in Washington, D.C. NTAC Chief Dr. Lina Alathari and Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist Steven Driscoll present the findings from NTACs "Protecting Americas Schools" report in Chicago, Illinois, in 2019. According to the National Threat Assessment Center at the United Stated Secret Service, The goal of a Threat Assessment is to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and identify intervention strategies to manage that risk. (USSS, NTAC, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence (2018), pp 5.). The centers staff is composed of a multidisciplinary team of social science researchers and regional program managers who support and empower our partners in law enforcement, schools, government, and other public and private sector organizations to combat the ever-evolving threat of targeted violence impacting communities across the United States. A thoughtful threat assessment process provides an opportunity for school officials to respond with empathy and support to students facing mental health challenges and connect them with resources that will support their healing while keeping their entire school community safe. 4 24 PS 1303.1-A. Student-perpetrated homicide cases in U.S. schools InScenario 1, the school ended up expelling the student and there was a lawsuit filed over the schools reaction to what was only a transient threat. It is important to reevaluate the plan and make adjustments as needed. (1) Information must be gathered from various sources during the inquiry. Unfortunately, all the parents learned about the threat when it was front-page news the next morning. . Moreover, schools using our model of threat assessment have substantial reductions in the use of school suspension and lower rates of bullying. A student might apologize, for example, and explain that the threat was a joke or the result of anger or frustration. Deputy Director Leon Newsome introduces NTACs Protecting Americas Schools report in Chicago in 2019. Step 3. Prevention and mitigation rely on relationships and connectedness amongst students, staff members, and the community. Topics covered include how a threat assessment team can be integrated into the broader framework ofschool safety, security, emergency management and preparedness. Step 2: Alert the Building Threat Assessment Team. For those subjects determined to be of moderate, high, or imminent risk, more formalized progress monitoring will need to be implemented, and it is highly recommended that follow-up meetings are scheduled to review progress and responsiveness to interventions and supports. Keywords: school safety, threat assessment, school violence, serious and nonserious threats In response to a series of school shootings in the 1990s, federal law enforcement and education authorities recommended that schools adopt a threat assessment approach to violence prevention (Fein et al., 2002; O'Toole, 2000). In rare cases, a threat might escalate to a very serious substantive threat. This means that a student may be at risk of committing deadly violence or sexual assault. ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE THREAT AS TRANSIENT. In Person & Online. Step 1. Department of Education COVID-19 Relief Use of Funds Guidance: What Do School Psychologists Need to Know? Prevention must start before there is a gunman at the school door. Professor Dewey Cornell. Threat assessment helps a school navigate scenarios like these. When thinking about school violence, its important to keep in mind that school shootings are only a small part of it. However, prevention must start before there is a gunman at the school door. (LockA locked padlock) Administrative, Professional and Technical, Special Agent Talent & Achievement Recruitment, Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting, Protecting Americas Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence, Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education, Prior Knowledge of Potential School-Based Violence: Information Students Learn May Prevent a Targeted Attack, The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States, Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates, Hot Yoga Tallahassee: A Case Study of Misogynistic Extremism, The Congressional Shooter: A Behavioral Review of James Hodgkinson, Exploring the Effect of Stressors in Threat Assessment Investigations: A Case Study on Bart Allen Ross, Using a Systems Approach for Threat Assessment Investigations: A Case Study on Jared Lee Loughner, Investigating Ideologically Inspired Violent Extremists: Local Partners Are an Asset: A Case Study on Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, Attacks on U.S. Federal Government 20012013: Threat Assessment Considerations, Assassination in the United States: An Operational Study of Recent Assassins, Attackers, and Near Lethal Approachers, Protective Intelligence & Threat Assessment Investigations: A Guide for State and Local Law Enforcement Officials. The core BTAM team must include an administrator, at least one school mental health professional (e.g., school psychologist), and a school resource officer (SRO)/law enforcement officer. (2020). All stakeholders (students, teachers, support staff, coaches, mentors, parents, community members) must receive explicit training so they know how and when to report threats. Dont see your training provider? BTAM is not a substitute for school teams and processes that address nonviolent behaviors of concern, nor is it a disciplinary process or a mechanism to allow schools to remove children from school because they have behaviors that are difficult to manage. Each program approved under this section must be an evidence-based program that provides instruction in the following: (1) Identifying behaviors, signs, and threats that may lead to a violent act; (2) Determining the seriousness of a threat; (3) Developing intervention plans that protect the potential victims and address the underlying problem or conflict that initiated the behavior and assessments of plan results. For situations determined to be of low risk, informal monitoring may be sufficient. Inmany schools, threat assessment teams met infrequently, with 13.4%reporting no meetings and 10.3%reporting only one meeting during the school year. Establish a Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment Team The BTAM team must be carefully selected, be appropriately trained, and have collective expertise in school administration, mental health, academic instruction, and law enforcement. Our group has extensive experience conducting threat assessment training for schools. Dr. Scott Poland is a Professor at the College of Psychology and the Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. No matter your industry, we have the right solutions to help protect your business. Details a process for identifying, assessing, and managing students who may pose a threat of targeted violence in schools; includes suggestions for developing a threat assessment team within a school or school district, steps to take when a threat or other information of concern comes to light, consideration about when to involve law enforcement personnel, issues of information sharing, and . Schools do not need to predict who is going to commit a violent act if they focus on identifying and helping students in need of assistance. SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT DECISION TREE. Proper threat assessment can help schools avoid overreacting to transient threats. Threat Assessment Checklist for K-12 Schools Project AWARE Ohio compiled the following 12-step checklist for interested stakeholders who want to establish threat assessment plans, procedures and policies within their local school districts and buildings.