Create a situation that is less prone to violence by asking the family or law enforcement to block the student’s access to weapons, while also connecting the student to positive, prosocial models of behavior.
Another option may involve removing the student from campus for a period of time, while maintaining a relationship with the student and the student’s family.
Remove or redirect the student’s motive. Every student’s motive will be different, and motives can be redirected in a variety of ways.
These strategies may include bullying prevention efforts or offering counseling for a student experiencing a personal setback.
Reduce the effect of stressors by providing resources and supports that help the student manage and overcome negative events, setbacks, and challenges.
In one recent case, a school principal described a situation when a student was suspended from his high school for drug possession. Soon after, a fellow student discovered a concerning video he posted online and notified school personnel.
A school administrator met with the student and his father. While the administrator had no immediate safety concerns about the student, he was aware that the student was experiencing a number of stressors.
The student’s parents were divorced and he was living with his father, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was receiving frequent medical treatments. His mother was dealing with a mental illness, was a source of embarrassment to him, and was unlikely to be able to serve as his guardian after his father’s passing. He was also recently removed from the wrestling team, and due to his suspension, banned from attending the matches. While suspended, the student was required to attend tutoring sessions in lieu of school, but was unable to make his sessions because he was transporting his father to medical appointments.
The administrator reported that he would have alerted their school resource officer and local sheriff’s office if he had safety concerns about the student, but instead the school worked with community services to provide access to resources and supports, including transportation services for his father to his medical appointments so the student could attend tutoring sessions, and counseling and support services that would assist the student after his father’s passing.
The school also worked with the student and his father to develop a plan for the student to return to campus and remain on track to graduate.
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