GABRIELA QUINTERO

THREAT ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN

SCHOOLS

WHAT IS A THREAT ASSESSMENT & GOAL?

A threat assessment is a context and circumstance that is surrounded in a threat and includes interventions
designed to manage and reduce the risk of violence.
The goal of a threat assessment for a school counselor is intervention. Threat Assessements are conducted by a
multidisciplinary team consisting of members of the school faculty, including the school officer and mental health
professionals.

EXAMPLES OF VERBAL PROCESS OF THREAT

THREATS ASSESSMENT
Identifying threats made by students
Direct: " I'm going to shoot you
Evaluate the seriousness of threat and
with..."
danger it poses to others & recognize that
Third Party: "I am going to not all threats are the same (e.g., toy
get him, wait and see." guns are not dangerous)
Indirect: "If I wanted to, I could Have Interventions to reduce the risk of
kill everyone at this school" violence
Follow-up to assess intervention results

CONFIDENTIALITY FOLLOW-UP ACTION PLAN

The Family and Educational Rights
and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
applies to educational records, not all
the information about a student.
Therefore, information covered by
FERPA can be disclosed in a health or
safety emergency situation.
Reduce the risk of violence.
Identify appropriate school, family and
community interventions for students.
Schedule follow-up contact with students
to assess risk.
Document plan in the "Safety Evaluation
Report".
Monitor and review the effectiveness of the
plan.