School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management

• Published in: California school psychologist Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 148 - 162
• Main Authors: Louvar Reeves, Melissa A., Brock, Stephen E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer New York 01.06.2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavior; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Best Practices; Child and School Psychology; Collaboration; Counselor Role; Criminal statistics; Domestic violence; Education; Educational Environment; Educational Psychology; Elementary Secondary Education; Ethics; Evaluation; Federal court decisions; Identification; Intervention; Law enforcement; Management; Prevention; Professionals; Psychology; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; School Administration; School boards; School Psychologists; School Safety; School violence; Schools; Students; Teachers; Teams; Threat assessment; Threats; Tools for Practice; Violence; United States > US; Warning signs; Intervention; Threat assessment; Violence; Risk factors
• ISSN: 2159-2020; 2161-1505
• DOI: 10.1007/s40688-017-0158-6

While schools are safer today than in years past, one act of school violence is one too many. Recent reports have conveyed the importance of schools developing and implementing protocols and procedures to prevent or mitigate school violence. To assist with this task, this article addresses behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) in the K-12 school setting and the school psychologist’s role in risk and threat assessment. Best practices in establishing a K-12 behavioral threat assessment and management process, including the assessment of risk factors and warning signs, identification of concerns, and follow-up interventions and monitoring are discussed. Ethical and legal considerations are also reviewed.