How and When to Intervene

Determine and Implement Interventions in a Timely Manner

The assessment team should establish specific procedures in advance. Once the initial assessment has taken place, the team must then decide the appropriate next steps. Interventions may need to be staged (e.g., immediately bringing the student in question under adult supervision versus recommending mental health counseling). Considerations should include whether or not the student can stay in school, what alternatives may be needed, when and how to notify parents, when and if to contact law enforcement, and what mental health, social service, and school-based interventions are needed to reduce/eliminate the student's risk of becoming violent.

Provide Supportive Interventions to Potential Offenders

The goal of threat assessment is not only to keep schools safe, but also to help potential offenders overcome the underlying sources of their anger or hopelessness. Effective threat assessment provides adults useful information about a student's risks and personal resources. In most cases students will not carry out their threat, but may still be crying out for help. The assessment process should incorporate referral to appropriate mental health and social services, as well as a system for following up on the effectiveness of interventions. Among the other potential risks that can be identified and prevented are suicide, alcohol and drug use, physical abuse, dropping out and criminal activity.

Although there is no guaranteed strategy for eliminating school violence, a comprehensive interventions-based approach can greatly minimize the risk to both the potential victims and perpetrators, while increasing the chances that students with real problems will get help. Threat assessment must be an integral part of a system that fosters a positive school environment; trust between students and adults; respect for others; intolerance for violence of any kind; collaboration between home, school, and community; and the belief that everyone can build toward their strengths given the appropriate support.

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Adapted from informatin provided by the National Association of School Psychologists.
Developed by: Stephen Brock, Ph.D., NCSP,who is on the faculty of California State University-Sacramento and Chairs the NASP Crisis Intervention Interest Group; and Shane Jimerson, Ph.D. NCSP, who is on the faculty of the University of California Santa Barbara.
With Phil Lazarus, they are co-editors of the NASP publication, Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention.
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