Research & Insights
State of Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) in K-12 Schools 2025

Infographics Published November 18, 2025

State of Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) in K-12 Schools 2025

Q: What is Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM)?

BTAM is a proactive strategy employed to prevent violence and other harmful outcomes in K–12 schools. It involves a multidisciplinary team—which often includes school administrators, counselors, and public safety professionals—systematically evaluating and responding to concerning student behaviors or threats. The goal is to identify concerning behavior early, assess the risk of harm, and provide appropriate, tailored interventions and supports to manage safety risks while promoting student well-being and reducing reliance on exclusionary discipline.

Q: How widely adopted is BTAM in K–12 public schools?

The adoption of BTAM as a school safety strategy is nearly universal across U.S. schools. As of January 2025, virtually all public schools (97 percent) engaged in BTAM in some capacity during the 2024–2025 school year. Specifically, 82 percent of public schools have a team they explicitly call an official BTAM team. This level of adoption marks a significant increase from a decade ago, when fewer than half of schools had BTAM teams.

Q: What types of behavioral concerns do BTAM teams typically address?

BTAM programs are appropriately scoped to focus on severe and high-risk cases of student behavior, consistent with their mission of violence prevention. Principals report that their official BTAM teams almost universally respond to serious threats, such as students who direct threats toward other students or school staff, students intending to commit mass violence, or students at risk of self-harm or suicide. Conversely, principals' responses suggest that low-level behavioral concerns, like regular classroom disruption or disrespect of staff, are appropriately addressed by other school support teams and are generally outside the scope of official BTAM teams.

Q: How do principals perceive the effectiveness and impact of their BTAM programs?

Principals generally hold a net positive view of their BTAM programs' impact. Nine in ten principals (88 percent) believe their BTAM program is either somewhat or very effective at maintaining school safety. Furthermore, 70 percent of principals credit their BTAM program with improving the overall school climate. Majorities also believe that BTAM decreased or significantly decreased rates of violence (60 percent) and rates of suicidality or self-harm (57 percent) at their schools.

Q: Do BTAM teams rely on exclusionary discipline or law enforcement referrals?

No, school BTAM efforts prioritize supportive measures that address the root causes of concerning behaviors. Survey results indicate that over 75 percent of schools rarely or never use exclusionary discipline (such as long-term suspension or expulsion), and 80 percent rarely or never arrest or prosecute students referred to BTAM teams. The largest share of intervention strategies consistently involves supportive measures like mental health counseling, building trusted relationships with adults, and skill-building services.

Q: What are the key operational challenges to effective BTAM implementation?

The primary challenge today is ensuring effective and consistent implementation and fidelity, rather than encouraging adoption. Principals identified key challenges related to the operationalization of BTAM, including: • Variability in Practices: There is a lack of standardization in the models adopted, team functions, and intervention delivery. Many schools lack formal policies or written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). • Training Gaps: Fewer than half of schools provide annual training for BTAM team members, with training often provided only as needed. • External Factors: The most common current challenge reported by principals is the unwillingness of parents to implement or participate in recommended interventions (30 percent of schools). Another common challenge is limited service provider capacity to serve the volume of students referred.

Executive Summary

"This infographic summarizes the key findings of the 163 page report by the US Secret Service on the State of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) in K–12 Public Schools. The report investigates how BTAM is being implemented and operationalized across public K–12 schools, addressing topics like the prevalence of BTAM teams, their composition, operational procedures, and principals' perceptions of their effectiveness. "

Key Takeaways

BTAM adoption is near-universal (97%); focus shifts to effective implementation.
Programs appropriately address serious/high-risk threats, not minor discipline issues.
BTAM prioritizes supportive interventions; rarely uses suspension/arrest.
Principals view BTAM as highly effective, improving safety and climate.
Implementation varies: half of schools lack formal policies or training.
Top challenges are external: unwilling parents and limited service capacity.

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National Center for Integrated Emergency Response®

State of BTAM

Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management in K–12 Schools

2025 Survey • 1,746 School Leaders • National Sample • Source: RAND Corp / HSOAC

01. Core Themes

BTAM is a highly adopted, supportive, and individualized approach to violence prevention.

Widely Adopted

Ubiquitous practice across U.S. schools as a foundational element of safety.

Prevention First

Prioritizes supportive measures (counseling, trust) over exclusionary discipline.

Individualized

Tailored interventions to manage risk while supporting student well-being.

02. Milestones

Adoption has increased dramatically. The impetus dates back to the Safe School Initiative following Columbine (1999).

Rapid Growth 53% of teams formed in the last 2-4 years.

1-2 Years

Time required for a program to be "working well".

03. Key Data

97% Total Engagement

Of public schools engaged in BTAM in 2024-25

84%

Team Leads

Principals & Counselors are the most common members

75%

Free Care

Schools providing no-cost mental health counseling

<25%

Exclusionary

Principals who use expulsion/suspension often

88%

Effectiveness

Principals believe BTAM maintains school safety

04. Trends

Localized vs. National Models

30%

Use Locally Developed Models

20%

Use Named National Model

State Policy: Early adopters (by 2019) are more advanced, with better SOPs and meeting schedules.

Focus on High-Risk Behavior

Official BTAM teams appropriately scope their work to serious threats.

05. Challenges & Future

Key Challenges

33% Parental Engagement: Unwillingness to participate in interventions.
21% Resource Constraints: Service provider capacity limits.
51% Lack of SOPs: Half of schools lack formal policies/SOPs.
Training Gaps: <50% provide annual training; worse in urban schools.

Future Direction

Shift Focus

From adoption to implementation fidelity.

Standardization

Develop evidence-based frameworks and standardized procedures.

Strengthen Resources

Funding to address disparities in urban/high-poverty schools.

Data Source

Diliberti, M. K., Moore, P., Jackson, B. A., Morris, K., Buckland, W., Alathari, L., Driscoll, S., Drysdale, D., & Glidden, J. (2025). The State of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K–12 Public Schools: Findings from a 2025 American School Leader Panel Survey (Report No. RR-A3658-1). Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center/RAND Corporation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM)?

BTAM is a proactive strategy employed to prevent violence and other harmful outcomes in K–12 schools. It involves a multidisciplinary team—which often includes school administrators, counselors, and public safety professionals—systematically evaluating and responding to concerning student behaviors or threats. The goal is to identify concerning behavior early, assess the risk of harm, and provide appropriate, tailored interventions and supports to manage safety risks while promoting student well-being and reducing reliance on exclusionary discipline.

How widely adopted is BTAM in K–12 public schools?

The adoption of BTAM as a school safety strategy is nearly universal across U.S. schools. As of January 2025, virtually all public schools (97 percent) engaged in BTAM in some capacity during the 2024–2025 school year. Specifically, 82 percent of public schools have a team they explicitly call an official BTAM team. This level of adoption marks a significant increase from a decade ago, when fewer than half of schools had BTAM teams.

What types of behavioral concerns do BTAM teams typically address?

BTAM programs are appropriately scoped to focus on severe and high-risk cases of student behavior, consistent with their mission of violence prevention. Principals report that their official BTAM teams almost universally respond to serious threats, such as students who direct threats toward other students or school staff, students intending to commit mass violence, or students at risk of self-harm or suicide. Conversely, principals' responses suggest that low-level behavioral concerns, like regular classroom disruption or disrespect of staff, are appropriately addressed by other school support teams and are generally outside the scope of official BTAM teams.

How do principals perceive the effectiveness and impact of their BTAM programs?

Principals generally hold a net positive view of their BTAM programs' impact. Nine in ten principals (88 percent) believe their BTAM program is either somewhat or very effective at maintaining school safety. Furthermore, 70 percent of principals credit their BTAM program with improving the overall school climate. Majorities also believe that BTAM decreased or significantly decreased rates of violence (60 percent) and rates of suicidality or self-harm (57 percent) at their schools.

Do BTAM teams rely on exclusionary discipline or law enforcement referrals?

No, school BTAM efforts prioritize supportive measures that address the root causes of concerning behaviors. Survey results indicate that over 75 percent of schools rarely or never use exclusionary discipline (such as long-term suspension or expulsion), and 80 percent rarely or never arrest or prosecute students referred to BTAM teams. The largest share of intervention strategies consistently involves supportive measures like mental health counseling, building trusted relationships with adults, and skill-building services.

What are the key operational challenges to effective BTAM implementation?

The primary challenge today is ensuring effective and consistent implementation and fidelity, rather than encouraging adoption. Principals identified key challenges related to the operationalization of BTAM, including: • Variability in Practices: There is a lack of standardization in the models adopted, team functions, and intervention delivery. Many schools lack formal policies or written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). • Training Gaps: Fewer than half of schools provide annual training for BTAM team members, with training often provided only as needed. • External Factors: The most common current challenge reported by principals is the unwillingness of parents to implement or participate in recommended interventions (30 percent of schools). Another common challenge is limited service provider capacity to serve the volume of students referred.

State of Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) in K-12 Schools 2025

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