Behavioral threat assessment

The Secret Service recognizes that preventing targeted violence is possible if communities are equipped with the training and resources necessary to identify individuals of concern, assess their risk of violence, and intervene appropriately, namely through behavioral threat assessment (also referred to as behavioral threat assessment and management or “BTAM”).

Behavioral threat assessment is an approach to proactively prevent incidents of targeted violence.

NTAC research and Secret Service operational experience have established that behavioral threat assessment:

A behavior-based approach to proactively prevent incidents of targeted violence.

Is a systematic risk management approach. Unlike traditional criminal investigations that focus on arrest and criminal prosecution, behavioral threat assessment involves determining if an individual poses a risk of violence while developing proactive management strategies to reduce the likelihood of a violent outcome.

Requires corroboration from diverse sources. In addition to gathering information directly from the individual of concern, a behavioral threat assessment should evaluate information obtained from those who know the individual, as well as lawfully accessible information contained in records and other forms of documentation.

Emphasizes rapport building. A behavioral threat assessment should employ rapport-building techniques to facilitate positive engagement and successful intervention.

Utilizes a low threshold of concern. Acting at the first sign of concerning behavior, instead of waiting for a direct or explicit threat, improves the chances of preventing violence.

Provides an avenue for early intervention. A behavioral threat assessment facilitates the delivery of appropriate interventions and resources as part of a violence prevention strategy that focuses on addressing the factors driving an individual toward violence.

Is not profiling. Rather than focusing on demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, race, or ethnicity), behavioral threat assessment prioritizes understanding an individual’s thinking and behavior.

Is not prediction. Rather than attempting to predict who will act violently, a behavioral threat assessment should focus on identifying and addressing the concerning factors that appear to be driving a person toward violence.

Behavioral threat assessment should be approached with a prevention mindset.

The primary objective of a behavioral threat assessment is to gather information about an individual of concern in order to assess and manage the risk of violence they may pose—in other words, prevention.

Oftentimes, individuals eliciting concern have not violated a criminal statute, which serves as an important reminder that an individual need not commit a criminal offense before being the subject of a behavioral threat assessment.

Concerning scenarios like this, in which no criminal violation has yet occurred, highlight how criminal prosecution should not be the primary objective of a behavioral threat assessment.

is a proactive approach to violence prevention. | is not a criminal investigation. provides an avenue for early intervention. | is not a physical security measure. focuses on assessing and managing is not profiling. concerning behavior.

Change can be challenging, but law enforcement in the United States has demonstrated the ability to evolve its operations to better address emerging threats to public safety.

Similarly, law enforcement has long promoted the general welfare of the communities they serve and protect through preventive measures, including welfare checks, traffic and crowd control, drunk driving prevention, and drug abuse education.

The adoption of behavioral threat assessment reflects a movement toward a more structured approach to targeted violence prevention and is a natural progression of the public safety role law enforcement has historically played in the United States.

When establishing a BTAU, law enforcement agencies must first recognize that targeted violence is preventable.

It is important for agencies to internalize this concept of prevention and recognize that law enforcement can be proactive in addressing targeted violence and are not limited to reactive responses to crimes or active assailants.

A structured behavioral threat assessment process can empower agencies, within all existing legal and constitutional parameters, to prevent future tragedies and loss of life.

Law enforcement agencies routinely take steps to reduce opportunities for crime through preventive measures, and behavioral threat assessment can serve as one such method of prevention.

All BTAU members should understand that tragedies can be prevented by recognizing and appropriately intervening when warning signs of targeted violence are present.

The primary objective of a behavioral threat assessment is prevention, not criminal prosecution.

Many cases may not involve a criminal violation but will still require action to assist an individual in crisis or mitigate the potential risk for violence.

Assessment is the process of collecting and analyzing information to understand threatening and concerning behavior in context.

This approach is based on foundational principles identified by NTAC research and the Secret Service’s pioneering efforts in the field, which have established that behavioral threat assessment: • utilizes a low threshold of concern, • requires corroboration from diverse sources, • emphasizes rapport building, • is not profiling, and • is not prediction.

Because behavioral threat assessments are not the same as criminal investigations, the initial interview will often take place outside of police custody and only with the consent of the participating individual.

When assessing for risk, the BTAU should not focus solely on whether a person made a threat, but whether a person poses a threat. In other words, while explicit threats are relevant to assessing risk, they are not the sole indicator for whether a person may become violent and, as such, should not be treated as a threshold for concern by public safety officials.

Therefore, the central question in behavioral threat assessment is—Does the individual of concern pose a risk of violence at this time?

Still, it should be noted that a mental health evaluation is not a substitute for a behavioral threat assessment and that mental health treatment is not a substitute for behavioral threat management.

The BTAU should emphasize that while they are a law enforcement entity, their primary objective in conducting behavioral threat assessments is prevention, and their approach is focused on facilitating proactive intervention with the individual of concern while achieving a positive outcome for the individual and the community.

The Secret Service has long held that prevention is the best form of protection.

By following the steps in this operational guide, state and local law enforcement agencies will be able to adopt the pioneering principles of the Secret Service’s behavioral threat assessment model and move toward a structured approach to targeted violence prevention.

Behavioral threat assessment: A behavior-based approach to proactively prevent incidents of targeted violence.