Threat Assessment in Schools: Lessons Learned from School Shootings

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Threat Assessment in Schools Lessons Learned
from School Shootings

• Marleen Wong, Ph.D.. Director
• Assistant Dean and Clinical Professor
• Director of Field Education
• School of Social Work
• University of Southern
• Marleenw_at_usc.edu

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Safe School Initiative 2000US Dept of Education
and Secret Service

• Joint study on targeted school violence
• Develop useful information from prior school
  attacks to prevent future attacks
• Reviewed 37 incidents 1974-2000
• Interviewed 10 attackers in prison
• Thinking, planning and pre-attack behaviors
• Patterned after the Exceptional Case Study
  Project of the Secret Service Lethal attacks on
  public officials since 1949 (1999)

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Safe School Initiative US Dept of Education and
Secret Service

• Targeted Violence Rarely Impulsive
• Planned Attack in Advance
• Observable Behaviors Caused Concern or Indicated
  Need for Help
• Attackers Had Difficulty Coping with Significant
  Loses or Personal Failure

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Violence is Progressive There are behavioral
warning signs

• Many Felt Bullied, Persecuted or Injured by
  Others Prior to Attack
• Many Considered or Attempted Suicide
• Other Students Knew, Some were Involved in Some
  Way
• Most Had Access To or Had Used Weapons Prior to
  Attack.

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School Violence Myths

• Myth It wont happen here
• Reality It can happen anywhere
• Reality Denial leads to the ignoring of
  important warning signs.
• Reality Realistic awareness, not paranoia, can
  increase school safety.

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School Violence Myths

• Myth Sometimes people just snap!
• Reality The snap theory is a fairy tale
• Reality Violent behaviors are progressive
• Reality There are observable signs along the
  way

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School Violence Myths

• Myth No crime has been committed. There is
  nothing we can do about it
• Reality School shootings can be prevented
• Intervention stops the forward motion of violent
  behavior
• Reality We need new ways of working together

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Threat Assessment Concepts and Variables

• Justification
• Dehumanization
• Human Target Selection
• Site Selection
• Emotionally Determined Sites
• Sites of Opportunity

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Developmental Realities

• Some students may already possess significant
  violence potential before they even enter a
  school system
• Contributing Factors?
• Victim of Abuse
• Chronic Violence in the Home or Community
• Family DynamicsI will punch you in the head

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THREE ELEMENTS TO BEGIN

• Authority to Conduct an Assessment - A formal
  policy identifying team members, roles, threshold
  of concern for initiating a threat assessment
• Capacity to Conduct Inquiries An Investigative,
  inquisitive mindset, viewing information with
  healthy skepticism what are the real FACTS
• Multi-Systems Team Relationships Boundary
  Spanners Individuals who build and maintain
  relationships across disciplines and agencies

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WHAT IF?

• A DVD Produced by
• US Department of Education
• US Department of Justice
• Homeland Security
• National Center for School Safety

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Desired Characteristics of TAT Members

• A Questioning, Analytical and Skeptical Mindset
• An ability to relate well to parents, colleagues,
  other professionals and students
• Solid knowledge of child development, the school
  environment, safe schools practices
• A school and community reputation for fairness
  and trustworthiness
• Ability to collect and evaluate information
• Discretion
• Respect for the authority given to YOU Take
  Actions that Help not Harm

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THREAT ASSESSMENT

• Threat or risk assessment is the process of
• Assessing risks to a particular target, group of
  individuals, or individual
• Designing and implementing intervention and
  management strategies to reduce that risk or
  threat.

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THREAT ASSESSMENT

• Risk investigation is only as good as the data.
  
• Use of collateral/functional data sources is
  essential.

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Does The District Have a Formal Policy Regarding
Oral or Written Threats by Students or Staff?

• LAUSD BULLETIN 1119.1
• All threats made against individuals or
  groupsmust be taken seriously and investigated
  to determine whether they pose a real danger to
  students or staff. Threats which initially
  appear or ultimately prove to be pranks or hoaxes
  are also taken seriously due to the severe
  disruption that false threats often impose on the
  daily operation of a school

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WHO SHOULD BE ON THE THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM

• Core Members at the School Site
• Site Administrator Principal/Educator
• School Police Officer
• School Mental Health Professional
• (Counselor, School Psychologist, Social
  Worker, Nurse or Attendance Worker)
• Additional Members
• District Administrator and/or Legal Counsel

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ELEVEN KEY QUESTIONS

• 1. What are the students motives and goals?
• 2. Have there been any communications suggesting
  ideas or intent to attack?

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11 Key Questions

• 3. Has the subject shown inappropriate
  interest in any of the following?
• School Attacks or Attackers
• Weapons, including recent acquisitions
• Incidents of mass violence such as terrorism,
  workplace violence, mass murderers

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More Key Questions

• 4. Has the student engaged in attack related
  behaviors?
• 5. Does the student have the capacity to carry
  out an act of targeted violence?

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More Key Questions

• 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 or desirableor the only way to solve
  problems?

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Key Questions 8-11

• 9. Is the students conversation and story
  consistent with his or her actions/reality?
• 10. Are other people concerned about the
  students potential for violence?
• 11. What circumstances might affect the
  likelihood of an attack?

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Introduce Yourselves

• Create a group of 3
• Reach over to someone you dont know Next to
  you Behind you, or in front of you
• Shake hands and introduce yourselves
• Tell them your name
• How many years youve worked in schools
• Where you were born

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Managing Threats Lessons Learned from School
Shootings

• The perspectives of education, law enforcement
  and mental health are essential
• No one person on the Threat Assessment Team
  should make a unilateral decision
• The person making the threat is in a state of
  fluidity
• Interrupting the forward movement of threatening
  behavior can be very effective

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RESOURCES

• LAUSD Crisis Counseling and Intervention Services
  WEBSITE
• On LAUSD.NET
• 1) Go to Offices
• 2) Click on Crisis Counseling and
  Intervention Services