Training for stakeholders

Since the creation of the U.S. Secret Service’s NTAC, we have provided 450 in-depth trainings on the prevention of targeted school violence to over 93,000 attendees including school administrators, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, school resource officers, and other public safety partners.

Our agency, through our local U.S. Secret Service field offices, continues to coordinate and provide this training to our community partners.

Students, teachers, staff, school resource officers, and parents should be provided training and guidance on recognizing behaviors of concern, their roles and responsibilities in reporting the behavior, and how to report the information.

The final component of a comprehensive targeted violence prevention plan is to identify training needs for all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and administrators; students; parents; and school resource officers or local law enforcement.

School safety is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone who could come forward with concerning information or who might be involved in the assessment process should be provided with training.

Effective training addresses the goals and steps of an assessment, the type of information that should be brought forward, and how individuals can report their concerns.

It might be beneficial for staff and students to hear presentations, see videos, and role-play scenarios so they have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and the steps they can take to keep their school safe.

Each audience will require a slightly different message, but some stakeholders may also benefit from attending training together, such as parents and students, or school faculty/staff and law enforcement personnel.

When developing a training program, consider how frequently each stakeholder will receive training, and whether to vary the delivery method of trainings. Also, each audience may have unique needs.

Every adult at school needs training related to threat assessment and violence prevention, including administrative, maintenance, custodial, and food service staff.

Training can include who should be notified when concerning or threatening information is discovered, what information should be brought forward, how school staff might learn about information, and the steps school staff can take to safely intervene with concerning or threatening situations.

Providing training on other topics, such as suicide awareness and prevention, conflict resolution, mental health, and developmental disabilities, might also allow school faculty, staff, and administrators to foster positive school climates.

Students need training on the threat assessment process, where to report concerns, and what information they should bring forward.

Students also need assurances that they can make a report to the Team or another trusted adult anonymously, that their information will be followed-up on, and will be kept confidential.

Training can also educate students about other actionable steps they can take to cultivate a safe school climate, including ways they can safely intervene with bullying, gossip, or name-calling.

Messaging should demonstrate to students that there is a big difference between “snitching,” “ratting,” or “tattling,” and seeking help. While snitching is informing on someone for personal gain, here, students are encouraged to come forward when they are worried about a friend who is struggling, or when they are trying to keep someone from getting hurt.

Remind students that if they are concerned about a classmate or friend, they need to keep speaking out until that person gets the help they need.

Finally, maintaining a safe school climate includes providing students with training or lessons to acquire skills and abilities to manage emotions, resolve conflicts, cope with stress, seek help, and engage in positive social interactions.

Parents should also be trained on the threat assessment process at their child’s school and their role in that process.

They should be clear on who to call, when, and what information they should be ready to provide.

Parents can also benefit from training that helps them recognize when children and teenagers may be in emotional trouble or feeling socially isolated.

Training can also reduce the stigma around mental, emotional, or developmental issues and provide information on available resources and when they should seek professional assistance.

Not every school will have a school resource officer, but schools can still develop relationships with local law enforcement agencies and personnel.

Schools can encourage local officers to co-teach classes at the school, serve as coaches or assistant coaches of sports teams, and work with parents and teachers at after-school events.

In some communities without school resource officers, local law enforcement agencies have encouraged officers to “adopt a school,” stopping by the school to greet and become familiar with students and teachers, eating lunch on campus, or doing paperwork in an office at the school.

Like parents and teachers, local law enforcement and school resource officers need to be aware of the school’s threat assessment process and their own responsibilities once a threat is identified.

Training for law enforcement and school resource officers should also provide familiarity with emergency response procedures the school has in place and the layout of the campus.

Officers and school staff might benefit from attending training together so that all parties are aware of the point at which local law enforcement should be involved in an investigation. This would also allow officers to get to know administrators, teachers, counselors, facilities and maintenance personnel, and other school staff.

It is critical to develop and implement emergency response plans and procedures and provide training on them to all stakeholders.