1. Threat Assessment Matthew Lord Director of School Counseling
Gloucester High School
Gloucester, Virginia
Christina Mahoney
School Psychologist
Gloucester county public schools

2. School Threat Assessment
Threat assessment involves asking:
Is this student/ person on a pathway toward violence?
The primary goal of threat assessment is the safety of all persons involved.

3. The Pathway to Violence
IDEA
PLAN
MEANS
ATTACK
*How do we look at planned violence v. impulsive violence?

4. Providing Guidance
Provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff on recognizing threatening /aberrant behavior that may represent a threat to the community, school, or self.
How are you doing this?
Faculty and staff?
Students?
UVA Study selection GHS, Page & Peasley last year. This year?

5. Reporting
Identify members of the school community to whom threats should be reported.
Immediately report to the superintendent (or designee) any preliminary determination that a student poses a threat of violence or physical harm to self or others.
Report quantitative data on its activities.
Is everyone clear on these? Any feedback?

6. Implications for prevention
Many school attacks/crime can be prevented.
Information about a student’s ideas and plans for violence can be observed or discovered before harm can occur.
Information available is likely to be scattered and fragmented.
Key is to act quickly upon an initial report of concern, gather other pieces of the puzzle, then assemble to see what picture emerges.

7. Steps in threat assessment process
1. Threat assessment team receives report of threat from an administrator. (Often Risk Screening has already been done)
2. Team gathers more information and checks facts.
3. Team analyzes information and assesses/classifies threat.
4. If the team sees that situation poses a threat, the team alerts superintendent and responds to threat to manage threat, reduce risk, and get assistance.
5. Team and others monitor and re-evaluate plan to ensure safety.
6. Team and others follow up as appropriate.

8. Steps in assessment process
1. Threat assessment team receives a report of a threat or threatening behavior.
School administrator makes referral to counselor for Risk Assessment (unless high or imminent then jump to STAT and act to protect):
Student who made the threat
Witness(es)
Recipient(s) of threat
Other sources if needed

9. Steps in assessment process
2. Team gathers more information about the student of concern.
Think about those who might have information:
Teachers/Coaches/Staff/Adults in school who know student
Friends/Classmates
Parents/Siblings/Family members
Records review
Locker search
School library - books checked out list
Local law enforcement check (Student, family, address)
Online information/search
Community services (CSB, DSS, other)
Employer
Copy of Risk Screening Tool (if done)

10. Steps in assessment process
3. Team analyzes information gathered by answering 11 analytical questions:
1. What first brought him/her to someone’s attention? What is the current status of the situation?
2. Have there been any communications suggesting ideas or intent to attack?
3. Has the student shown any inappropriate interest in school attacks/attackers, weapons, incidents of mass violence?
4. Has the student engaged in attack- related behaviors?
5. Does the student have the capacity to carry out an act of targeted violence?

11. Steps in assessment process
6. Is the student experiencing hopelessness, desperation, and/or despair?
7. Does the student have a trusting relationship with at least one responsible adult?
8. Does the student see violence as an acceptable, desirable or the only way to solve a problem?
9. Are the student’s conversation and “story” consistent with his or her actions?
10. Are other people concerned about the student’s potential for violence?
11. What circumstances might affect the likelihood of an attack?

12. Steps in assessment process
4. Make the Assessment / Evaluation
Assessment questions:
Does the person pose a threat of targeted violence at school?
Is the person’s behavior consistent with movement on a pathway toward violence?
Does the person’s current situation and setting incline him or her toward or away from targeted violence?
If the team believes that the person poses a threat, the team will then develop and implement a plan to respond to the threat to manage and reduce the risk.

13. Tips for discussing assessment
Focus on facts of specific case.
Focus on the student’s behavior rather than the person’s traits.
Focus on understanding the context of behavior.
Examine progression of behavior over time.
Corroborate critical information.
Ask: Is this Planned or Impulsive?
Err on the side of HIGHER RISK!!

14. Classifying the Threat
 Low Risk Threat: Person/situation does not appear to pose a threat of violence and any underlying issues can be resolved easily.
Moderate Risk Threat: Person/situation does not appear to pose a threat of violence at this time but exhibits behaviors that indicate a continuing intent to harm and potential for future violence.
High Risk Threat: Person/situation appears to pose a threat of violence, exhibiting behaviors that indicate both a continuing intent to harm and efforts to acquire the capacity to carry out the plan.
Imminent Threat: Person/situation appears to pose a clear and immediate threat of serious violence toward others that requires containment and action to protect identified target(s).

15. Steps in assessment process
5. Team and others monitor and re-evaluate plan to ensure safety
6. Team and others follow up as appropriate.
We need to have a way to “close” cases, yet NOT lose track.
We need to track active threat assessments.
How is your school doing these?

16. GCPS 2015-16 Here are totals for the 15-16 school year: School Total
Low
Mod
High
Imminent
Abingdon
Achilles 1
Bethel
Botetourt 4 3
Petsworth
Page
Peasley
GHS 5 2
Totals  10 6

17. GCPS

18. Responding to Threats
Successful management of a threatening situation can require substantial time and effort.
Management of these situations comprise three related functions:
Controlling / containing the situation and/or student in a way that will prevent the possibility of an attack;
Protecting and aiding possible targets to the extent possible;
Providing support and guidance to help the student deal successfully with his or her problems.

19. Case Management Resources
Disciplinary measures
Outpatient counseling/mental health care
Emergency psychiatric evaluation
Mentoring relationship
Academic accommodations
Suspension/expulsion
Alternative schooling/home schooling
Involvement in extra-curricular activities
Social skills training
Behavioral contract
Parental involvement
Law enforcement involvement
Diversion programs
Management by walking around/alliance
Others?

20. Reporting and Record Keeping
Teams must report to superintendent or designee any case where student poses a threat
 Teams must report quantitative data on threat assessment cases.
 Teams should document assessments, safety plans, monitoring progress and re-assessments.
 Document exact words and actions - include date, time, behaviors, witnesses
 Document protective actions taken or offered
Consult with legal counsel about documentation
Can use Student Threat Assessment and Response Report form as model

21. Thoughts to Continue to Ponder
Langman, P.F. (2009). Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, N.Y., N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan. Classifies school shooters into three typologies: 1. Traumatized 2. Psychotic 3. Psychopathic

22. VA Code
Subsection A. …the assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of school staff or students…
Subsection F. Upon a preliminary determination by the threat assessment team that an individual poses a threat of violence to self or others or exhibits significantly disruptive behavior or need for assistance, a threat assessment team may obtain criminal history record information, as provided in §§   and  , and health records, as provided in §  :03. No member of a threat assessment team shall redisclose any criminal history record information or health information obtained pursuant to this section or otherwise use any record of an individual beyond the purpose for which such disclosure was made to the threat assessment team.

23. Threat Assessment Any changes desired: Any “fuzzy” areas to discuss?
Document?
Process?
Training?
Any “fuzzy” areas to discuss?

24. Thanks for Attending
Final Thoughts
Questions?