Teams are encouraged to consider when they will request local law enforcement support to assist with assessing or gathering information and establish relevant guidelines for that process.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
Considerations may include safety concerns for students or family members, student health and wellness, existing district policies and resources, and actions beyond the legal scope of the district.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
Depending on the situation, local law enforcement may support the team’s assessment of the concerning behavior by partnering with a social worker to conduct a welfare check at the student’s home, speaking with a student’s parent or guardian, checking for the presence of weapons and safe storage in the home, or other law enforcement actions which help the team better understand the context surrounding the student’s concerning behaviors and the risk of harm the student may pose to themselves or others.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
The assessment process and procedures that a multidisciplinary threat assessment team implements should help form a more accurate understanding of the student’s thinking, behavior, and circumstances in school, at home, and in the community. The goal is to evaluate the presence of factors that may indicate the possibility of harm to self or other members of the school community.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
Teams should establish protocols to gather information from a variety of sources (e.g., the student of concern, classmates, friends, family, disciplinary history, academic assignments, school records, and previous interventions) to ensure they are identifying any relevant concerning behaviors and accurately assessing the student’s risk and needs. This will better position the team to provide more appropriate resources, supports, and interventions.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
To ensure accurate assessment, teams should evaluate a student’s concerning behaviors in the context of their age, social and emotional development, and disability status.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
To more comprehensively assess concerning behavior, teams should organize their information gathering around themes such as bullying and harassment; mental health and substance abuse; concerning communications; stressors; recent downward progressions in behavior, mood, or social activity; home life factors (e.g., ACEs, present living situation); academic performance; school disciplinary history; inappropriate interest in concerning topics (e.g., past school attacks or mass attackers); weapons use and interest in violence; previous contact with law enforcement; social networks; recent losses or loss of status (e.g., shame, humiliation, loss of significant relationship); and motivation for behavior.
cite page 17 Best Practices for Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management
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