Training in Student Threat Assessment

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Training Available on
Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence

This document is available in PDF format.

The Virginia Youth Violence Project is offering training to school divisions in using our Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence. These Guidelines are designed to prepare school-based teams to evaluate and triage student threats of violence, quickly resolve minor threats, and take appropriate action in response to more serious threats of violence. Participants will learn to:

• Apply principles of threat assessment to manage potentially dangerous situations.
• Distinguish transient (minor) from substantive (more serious) threats of violence made by students.
• Use a decision tree to resolve student threat situations in a standard, fair, and objective manner.
• Make appropriate use of mental health evaluations and psychological services.
• Collaborate effectively with school resource officers or other law enforcement officers.
• Identify strategies to manage threats and reduce risk of future violence.
• Avoid legal and liability pitfalls.

The Virginia Guidelines were designed to implement recommendations of the FBI’s study of school shootings and incorporate findings from reports by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education. The Guidelines were developed in 2001 and have been extensively field-tested. Our research findings indicate that the Guidelines are an effective and efficient means of resolving student threat incidents. Follow-up studies of approximately 400 student threats of violence found that none of the threats were carried out, and almost all students were able to return to school. Threat assessment permits schools to resolve almost all threats without use of expulsion or long-term suspension. For more information on research support for the Guidelines, see our series of studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trainings are presented in a number of formats. Our basic training consists of a full day of lectures and team exercises conducted at your school. We supply master copies of training materials, interview protocols, and other documents for teams to use in implementing the Guidelines and documenting threats. We provide follow-up consultation to assist schools in successful implementation. Recommended team members include principals and assistant principals, school resource officers, school psychologists, and guidance counselors. Advanced trainings and follow up training of half-day or full day duration are also offered. Contact us for additional information. Email: Office: 434-924-8929 Website: http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu

Cost.Full-day training for all division staff is based on size of group, but most divisions and range in price from $2500 - $4000. Half day trainings cost a bit less. Prices also vary depending upon the number of trainers needed and the cost of travel and lodging. Costs include a master copy of training materials and follow-up consultation on threat incidents. School systems are expected to pay the expense for guidelines manuals available through the publisher.

Research option.Contingent upon grant funding approval, we anticipate providing free training to some school divisions willing to participate in research on the implementation of the guidelines. Research participation includes free training for all staff, two interviews with an administrator in each school, and summaries of threat incidents that have occurred during the school year. Contact us to be included on the provisional list.

Sample Training Schedule (full-day basic training for K-12)  

Virginia school systems that have participated in full-day training

Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Charlottesville, Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Franklin City, Fauquier, Hampton, Hanover, Henrico,  Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, Manassas County, Nelson, Newport News, Patrick, Portsmouth, Powhatan, Prince William County, Richmond, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Russell, Spotsylvania, Surry, Warren, Wise, and Wytheville in Virginia;

School divisions in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Threat Assessment Manual

Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence is a research-based manual that explains how to form a school team to assess and resolve student threats of violence. It provides detailed instruction for school administrators, psychologists, counselors, and law enforcement officers in a seven-step threat assessment and intervention process. This practical approach helps school personnel understand why a student made a threat and how to address the underlying cause of the threat.

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Sample Threats

Example of Student Threats

How would this threat be handled at your school?

Threat #1: A 5th grade girl named Nicole had a disagreement with a boy in her class named Jonathon. Nicole asked another girl to write a letter to Jonathon saying how ugly and unpopular he was. Nicole then added to the note by writing that a group of students were going to beat him up. Finally, Nicole asked a third girl to place the letter in a book that Jonathon was reading in the library. Upon opening the book, Jonathon read the letter and became upset. Jonathon took the letter to his mother, who contacted the principal and demanded that the students who had threatened her son be expelled from school.

Consider the various ways this incident could be resolved, then click here to see how it could be resolved using our guidelines for resolving student threats of violence.

How would this threat be handled at your school?

Threat #2: Nathan began arguing with another 8 th grade student, Sam, at the bus stop. After they got on the bus, the argument escalated and Nathan began hitting Sam. School staff took Nathan and Sam off the bus and to the office. On the way to the office, Nathan threatened to beat up Sam and again tried to hit him.

Consider the various ways this incident could be resolved, then click here to see how it could be resolved using our guidelines for resolving student threats of violence.

How would this threat be handled at your school?

Threat #3: A 10 th grade boy named Michael told another student that he was going to “bring a gun to school and shoot everybody.” This boy received special education services for an emotional disability and made the threat while riding in a school car for specialized transportation. He was overheard by the driver, who then reported the threat to the principal.

Consider the various ways this incident could be resolved, then click here to see how it could be resolved using our guidelines for resolving student threats of violence.

How would this threat be handled at your school?

Threat #4: During the fall of their 11 th grade year, Shannon and Steve called 911 and reported that a bomb was in their high school. The police traced the call to a phone within the high school. After further investigation by the school staff, they discovered that Shannon and Steve had made the bomb threat.

Consider the various ways this incident could be resolved, then click here to see how it could be resolved using our guidelines for resolving student threats of violence.

Evaluation of Training

Following each threat assessment training, we conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the training session. School personnel have the opporuntity to complete a short survey, which guages their understanding of student threat assessment and the use of our guidelines, and provide us with other important feedback. Thus far we have conducted trainings in 16 Virginia school divisions, as well as the Oakland Unified School District and a group of San Diego Area/Escondido school division in California. Below you will find samples of training evaluations from Fairfax County Virginia, Oakland, and San Diego.

Fairfax County Evaluation

Evaluation Ratings (N = 208)

There were four evaluation statements that could be answered: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neither Disagree Nor Agree, 4-Agree, 5-Strongly Agree. As the charts show, nearly everyone responded agree or strongly agree.

Sample Comments

Oakland Unified School District Evaluation

Evaluation Ratings (N = 40)

There were four evaluation statements that could be answered: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neither Disagree Nor Agree, 4-Agree, 5-Strongly Agree. As the charts show, everyone responded agree or strongly agree.

Sample comments

San Diego Area/ Escondido Schools

Evaluation Ratings (N = 124)

 There were four evaluation statements that could be answered: 1-Strongly Disagree, 2-Disagree, 3-Neither Disagree Nor Agree, 4-Agree, 5-Strongly Agree. As the charts show, everyone responded agree or strongly agree.

Sample comments

Faculty Dewey G. Cornell, Ph.D. is a forensic clinical psychologist and Professor of Education at the University of Virginia , where he holds the Bunker Chair in Education. Dr. Cornell directs the Virginia Youth Violence Project and has studied youth violence for the past twenty years. Dr. Cornell assisted the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime in its study of school shootings and has consulted with many school systems on safety and violence prevention. He is author of School Violence: Fears versus Facts and more than 100 scientific publications in psychology and education. Peter L. Sheras, Ph.D., ABPP, is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Education at the University of Virginia , and he is associate director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project. Dr. Sheras has been in clinical practice for over twenty-five years, and specializes in working with troubled and suicidal youth and their families. Dr. Sheras served on the writing panel for Early Warning/Timely Response produced by the U.S. Department of Education and distributed to every school in the United States . Dr. Sheras is co-developer of the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents and the recent author of Your child: Bully or victim? Understanding and ending school yard tyranny.

Development of the Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence was supported by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.