Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
Why would a student bring a weapon to school and without any explicable reason open fire on fellow students and teachers? Are school shooters angry? Are they crazy? How do we know if a threat is serious? If we have a serious threat, what do we do next? how do we manage the subject of concern?
In this 8-hour course, you will learn a threat assessment-intervention model that can be used by educators, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and others involved in school safety. It outlines a methodical procedure for evaluating a threat and the person making the threat, with the aim of reaching an informed judgment on the danger that threat and how to manage the subject of concern.
The basic threat assessment course includes:
- Threat typology
- Understanding the motivation behind threats
- Multi-pronged assessment model
- Identifying behavior and personality traits that can lead to violent behavior
- The multi-disciplinary team approach
- Intervention process and threat management
- Role of law enforcement
- Case study review
- Role-play and tabletop scenarios
It is not enough to react only to the threatening message, whether spoken, written, or symbolic. It is also vital to assess whether the person who made the threat has the intent, means, and motivation to carry it out. The procedure presented in this course can help schools and law enforcement assess a threat and the threatener, evaluate the risk and respond appropriately and effectively.