The Essentials of Threat Assessment

Los Angeles Schools made one assessment.
NY City Schools made a different assessment.
Why?
In this DVD, Jeff Daniels, Ph.D., a professor at Indiana University Bloomington, Dept. of Counseling and Educational Psychology, presents the latest information available on making accurate threat assessments. Professor Daniels — who has participated in a School Violence Conference at the White House and is recognized for his expertise nationally — has long worked with the F.B.I. in developing and refining threat assessment practices for schools.
Highlights of the DVD include:
  1. Case Studies
  2. Types of Threats
    1. Direct
    2. Indirect
    3. Veiled
    4. Conditional
  3. Threat Assessment
    1. How credible and serious?
    2. Are there specific details?
    3. Are details plausible?
    4. What are the resources, intent and motivation?
    5. What is the emotional content?
  4. Motivation
    1. To taunt
    2. To frighten
    3. To gain status
    4. To strike back
  5. Levels of Risk
    1. Low Level – a threat that poses minimal risk to the victim and public safety.
      1. Threat is vague and indirect
      2. Information contained within the threat is inconsistent, implausible or lacks detail.
      3. Threat lacks realism.
      4. Content of the threat suggests person is unlikely to carry it out.
    2. Medium Level – a threat that could be carried out, although it may not appear entirely realistic.
      1. Threat is more direct and more concrete than a low level threat.
      2. Wording in the threat suggests the threatener has given some thought to how the act will be carried out.
      3. There may be a general indication of a possible place and time (though these signs still fall well short of a detailed plan).
      4. There is no strong indication that the threatener has taken preparatory steps, although there may be some veiled reference or ambiguous or inconclusive evidence pointing to that possibility.
      5. There may be a specific statement seeking to convey that the threat is not empty: serious!
    3. High Level – a threat that appears to pose an imminent and serious danger to the safety of others.
      1. Threat is direct, specific and plausible.
      2. Threat suggests concrete steps have been taken toward carrying it out. For example, statements indicating that the threatener has acquired or practiced with a weapon or has had the victim under surveillance.
  6. Recommendations
    1. Develop a Threat Assessment Team
      1. Principal or Assistant Principal
      2. School Resource Officer
      3. School Counselor, Psychologist, & Social Worker
    2. Establish close working relationships with local law enforcement agencies.
    3. Obtain training in threat assessment.
    4. Develop a set of Threat Assessment Procedures.
    5. Implement safety plan.

DVD Price: $90.00
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