THREAT ASSESSMENT Deputy Shane Jensen

What is a Threat? ► A threat is an expression of intent to do harm or act out violently against someone or something. A threat can be spoken, written, or symbolic.

Two Critical Principles in Threat Assessment ► 1. All threats and those that threaten are not equal ► 2. Most person who make threats do not carry out their threat. ► ** All threats should be taken seriously however

Types of Threats ► 1. A direct threat: a specific act against a specific target. ► 2. An indirect threat: tends to be vague, unclear, and ambiguous ► 3. A veiled threat: Strongly implies but does not explicitly threaten violence ► 4. A conditional threat: A threat involved with extortion cases.

Warning Signs

Warnings Signs by Department of education ► Social Withdrawal ► Excessive Feelings of Isolation ► Being a victim of violence ► Feeling picked on or persecuted ► Low school interest and poor academic performance ► Uncontrolled anger ► Patterns of impulsive hitting, intimidating, and bullying ► History of discipline problems ► Intolerance for differences ► Drug and Alcohol Use ► Gang affiliation ► Access to guns ► Serious Threats of violence

National School Safety Center Warning Signs ► History of tantrums and uncontrollable angry outbursts ► Characteristically resorts to name calling, cursing, or abusive language ► Habitually makes violent threats when angry ► Previously brought a weapon to school ► Background of serious discipline problems at school ► Background of drug and alcohol abuse ► On the fringe of peer groups with few or no close friends ► Preoccupied with weapons ► Previously truant, suspended, or expelled ► Cruelty to animals ► Little or no supervision from parents or caring adults ► Victim of abuse, neglect, or bullying ► Blames others for problems ► Prefers violent movies, music, tv shows, and reading material ► Reflects anger, frustration, and the dark side of life in essays or writing projects ► Threatened or attempted suicide

Levels of Risk ► Low Level Threat ► Medium Level of Threat ► High Level Threat

Four-Pronged Assessment Approach ► Prong One: Personality of the Student ► Prong Two: Family Dynamics ► Prong Three: School Dynamics and the student’s role in those dynamics ► Prong Four: Social Dynamics

Prong One: Personality Traits and Behavior ► Leakage: When a student intentionally or unintentionally reveals clues to feelings, fantasies, attitudes, or intentions that may signal an impending violent act ► Low Tolerance for Frustration: Easily bruised, insulted, angered and hurt ► Poor Coping Skills: Student consistently shows little if any ability to deal with frustration, criticism, disappointment, failure, rejection, or humiliation. ► Lack of Resiliency: Student lacks resiliency and is unable to bounce back even when some time has elapsed

► Failed Love Relationship: Student feels rejected or humiliated ► “Injustice Collector: Student nurses resentment over real or perceived injustices ► Signs of Depression: Signs of lethargy, physical fatigue, dark outlook, sense of malaise, and loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed ► Narcissism: Student is self-centered, lacks insight into others’ needs and/or feelings. May embrace the role of victim for sympathy ► Alienation: Student behaves as though he feels different or is estranged from others

► Dehumanizes Others: Student consistently fails to see others as fellow humans ► Lack of Empathy: Student shows an inability to understand the feelings of others ► Exaggerated Sense of entitlement: Student expects special treatment ► Attitude of Superiority: Sense of being superior and presents himself as being smarter, more creative, more talented etc…. ► Exaggerated or Pathological Need for Attention ► Externalizes Blame: Student refuses to take responsibility for their actions

► Masks Low Self Esteem: Student is arrogant, self-glorifying attitude ► Anger Management Problems ► Intolerance toward differences in others ► Inappropriate Humor ► Seeks to manipulate others ► Lack of trust ► Closed Social Group ► Change of Behavior ► Rigid and Opinionated ► Unusual Interest in Sensational Violence ► Fascination with Violence-Filled Entertainment ► Negative Role Models ► Behavior Appears Relevant to Carrying Out a Threat: Student increasingly occupied in activities that could relate to carrying out a threat

Family Dynamics ► Turbulent Parent-Child Relationship ► Acceptance of Pathological Behavior: Parents do not react to behavior that most parents would find very disturbing ► Access to weapons ► Lack of Intimacy ► Student “Rules the Roost” ► No limits or monitoring of TV and Internet

School Dynamics If an act of violence occurs at a school, the school becomes the scene of the crime. As in any violent crime, it is necessary to understand what it is about the school which might have influenced the student’s decision to offend there rather than someplace else. While it may be difficult for educators/assessors to “critique” or evaluate their own school, one must have some degree of awareness of these unique dynamics-prior to a threat-in order to assess a student’s role in the school culture and to develop a better understanding-from the student’s perspective-of why he would target his own school.

Traits associated with School Dynamics ► Students attachment to school: student appears to be “detached” ► Tolerance for Disrespectful Behavior: The school does little to prevent or punish disrespectful behavior ► Inequitable Discipline ► Inflexible Culture ► Pecking Order Among Students ► Code of Silence: Little trust between student and teacher ► Unsupervised Computer Access ► Schools should maintain documentation of all prior incidents or problems involving students so it can be considered in future threat assessments

Social Dynamics ► Media, Entertainment, Technology ► Peer Groups ► Drugs and Alcohol ► Outside Interests ► The copycat Effect

11 Key Questions ► What are the student’s motive(s) and goals? ► Have there been any communications suggesting ideas or intent to attack? ► Has the subject shown inappropriate interest in any of the following? a. School attacks or attackers b. Weapons (including any recent acquisition of any relevant weapon c. Incidents of mass violence

► Has the student engaged in attack-related behaviors? These behaviors might include: o Developing an attack idea or plan o Making efforts to acquire or practice with weapons o Casing, or checking out, possible sites and areas for attack o Rehearsing attacks or ambushes.

► Does the student have the capacity to carry out an act of targeted violence? ► Is the student experiencing hopelessness, desperation and/or despair? ► Does the student have a trusting relationship with at least one responsible adult? ► Does the student see violence as an acceptable-or desirable-or the only-way to solve problems? ► Is the student’s conversation and “story” consistent with his or her actions? ► Are other people concerned about the student’s potential for violence? ► What circumstances might affect the likelihood of an attack?