Motives and grievances

Students may have a variety of motives that place them at risk for engaging in harmful behavior, whether to themselves or others.

If you can discover the student’s motivation for engaging in the concerning behavior that brought him/her to the attention of the Team, then you can understand more about the student’s goals.

The Team should also assess how far the student may be willing to go to achieve these goals, and what or who may be a potential target.

Understanding motive further allows the Team to develop management strategies that can direct the student away from violent choices.

In several notes found after the incident, the student explained that she carried out her attack because her girlfriend had recently confessed that she was contemplating ending their relationship.

The student’s communications may reveal grievances held about certain issues or a possible intended target.

After his attack, the student explained that he felt as though he had asked the “proper people” for assistance, but he was denied help, so he decided that bringing a gun to school would scare his tormentors and get them to leave him alone.

Remove or redirect the student’s motive. Every student’s motive will be different, and motives can be redirected in a variety of ways.

These strategies may include bullying prevention efforts or offering counseling for a student experiencing a personal setback.