1. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 1 Threat Assessment Larry Berkowitz, Ed.D. Director, Riverside Trauma Center Special appreciation to Robert D. Macy, Ph.D. for content support

2. Threat Assessment for School Communities The Center for Trauma Psychology The Riverside Trauma Center The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

3. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 3 Threat Assessment Training Goals  Definitions of Threat & Assessment  Aggression: Generalized & Targeted  Homicide & Aggravated Assault  School Shootings- “Profiling Shooters”  Suicide: Attempts & Completions  Hostage Taking-Homicider-Suicider  Reading School sProtocols Development

4. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 4 A Word About IQ

5. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 5 Identity and Role §Who Are You in “THE WORK”? §How does your identity fit into the work? §What are your roles and functions?

6. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 6 Assessor & Perpetrator “What you pay attention to grows.” The Greatest Ball Player in the World

7. The Emergency Management Cycle Decrease the need for response Plan for a rapid, coordinated, effective response Execute the plan, ensure safety, coordinate actions Restore the learning environment; Monitor and assist the healing

8. Expanded Sample School Based ICS example Student Supervision Public Information Officer Liaison Officer Safety Officer Site/facility Security Transportation Psychological First Aid Team Leader Operations Section Chief Facility and Materials Documentation/Recorder Planning Section Chief Food Services Staffing Communications Logistics Section Chief Personnel Insurance Claims Finance & Admin S. Chief Incident Commander Health Services Group Supervisor Student Reunification Group Supervisor Medical Triage Team Leader Note – vertical reporting lines below Section Chiefs only for space saving illustration, Supervisors report directly to Chiefs, Team leaders to supervisors etc,.

9. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 9 Abusive Behavior Incident §Disruptive Student in the Classroom §Hate Crimes §Life Threatening Substance Abuse §Sexual Abuse of Student §Sexual Harassment of Student §Student Self-Mutilation - Cutting

10. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 10 Fatal Incident §Motor Vehicle Accident with Student Fatality §Student Placed on Life Support Machine §Sudden Death of Staff §Sudden Death of Student §Suicide Completion

11. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 11 Medical Threats §Communicable Disease Exposure §Environmental Hazards Exposure §Food Poisoning, Unintentional Toxin Ingestion §School Bus Accident

12. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 12 Missing Person Incident §Abduction of Student §Missing Student or Missing Teacher

13. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 13 Threats and Acts of Violence §Bomb Explosion §Bomb Threat §Physical Attacks l With Weapon l Without Weapon - Bullying §Suicide Attempt §Student Body Riot §Violent Gang Conflict §Verbal and Physical Threats l With Weapon l Without Weapon

14. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 14 School Operations Threats §Earthquake §False Fire Alarms §Fire at School §Hurricane §Severe Flooding §Telephone, Fax or Internet Abuse §Tornado §Unauthorized Visitor on School Premises

15. CTP All Rights Reserved Copyright 1995-2009 15 Terrorism Threats §External Attacks §Ongoing War with Afghanistan §Bio-Terrorism- l Skin l Air l Water §Psychological Warfare

16. Targeted violence §Prevalence of homicide in schools is less than one in a million §“once a threat is made having a fair, rational, and standardized method of evaluating and responding to threats is critically important.” – FBI report

17. Characterizing an attacker: Findings of the US Secret Service/ DOE Safe School Initiative No one profile or set of traits Pieces of the puzzle: §Characterizing the attacker §Conceptualizing the attack §Signaling the attack §Advancing the attack §Resolving the attack

18. Findings of the US Secret Service/ DOE Safe School Initiative §Implications of the Initiative- what does this tell us about prevention and assessment? l Threat assessment approach - fact based, analytical approach l Create a school environment that supports a sense of safety and connection -sharing information is encouraged

19. What is Reading doing? §REMS grant/ project §Training §Know the plans!

20. Contact information: Larry Berkowitz, Ed.D. Director, Riverside Trauma Center 255 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02494 Lberkowitz@Riversidecc.org 781-433-0672, ext. 5621