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Threat Identification and Assessment Programs in Schools

    Threat Identification and Assessment Programs in Schools

      What does this solve?

      The most important thing that schools can do to prevent active shooter incidents—and gun violence overall—is to intervene before a person commits an act of violence. Threat assessment and identification programs allow schools to intervene to address potential violent behavior.

      Threat assessment programs help keep guns out of schools. These programs help schools identify students who are at risk of committing violence and resolve these incidents by getting the students the help they need. Effective programs work to identify threats, determine if a student has access to guns, and ensure that there are enough professionals available to provide students with mental health services. Threat assessment programs are a critical part of comprehensive school safety plans.

      Which states require in-school threat assessment teams?

      11 states have adopted this policy

      AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Alabama has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Alaska has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Arizona has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Arkansas has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      California has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Colorado has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Connecticut has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Delaware has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Florida has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Georgia has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Hawaii has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Idaho has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Illinois has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Indiana has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Iowa has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Kansas has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Kentucky has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Louisiana has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Maine has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Maryland has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Massachusetts has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Michigan has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Minnesota has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Mississippi has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Missouri has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Montana has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Nebraska has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Nevada has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      New Jersey has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      New Mexico has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      New York has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      North Carolina has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      North Dakota has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Ohio has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Oregon has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Pennsylvania has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Rhode Island has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      South Carolina has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      South Dakota has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Tennessee has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Texas has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Utah has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Vermont has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Virginia has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Washington has adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      West Virginia has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

      School Threat Assessment Teams

      Wyoming has not adopted this policy

      How it Works

      Threat assessment programs help schools intervene to stop violent behavior.

      Keeping Our Schools Safe: A Plan for Preventing Mass Shootings and Ending All Gun Violence in American Schools Report

      Threat assessment teams are unanimously recommended by school safety experts including the federal Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Education, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The programs generally consist of multidisciplinary teams that are specifically trained to intervene at the earliest warning signs of potential violence and divert those who would do harm to themselves or others to appropriate treatment. These evidence-based programs are not designed to rely on discipline or the criminal justice system, and proper implementation is key to prevent undue harm to students of color or students with disabilities.

      A model program is The Comprehensive Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), formerly known as the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines, which was created by Dr. Dewey Cornell at the University of Virginia. CSTAG is a national leader in school-based threat assessment. The program is also listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices.

      By the numbers

      Featured Resources

      Threat Identification and Assessment Programs in Schools

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      Did you know?

      In 77 percent of school attacks at least one person, most often a peer, knew of the perpetrator’s plan.

      National Threat Assessment Center, “Protecting America’s Schools: A US Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2019, https://bit.ly/2U7vnwa.