Conclusion

” Despite having a comprehensive targeted violence prevention plan in place, and despite a school and Team’s best efforts at prevention, incidents of targeted school violence may still occur.

It is critical to develop and implement emergency response plans and procedures and provide training on them to all stakeholders.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that emergency response plans be developed with input from local law enforcement and first responders.

For example, procedures should be developed for reporting emergencies, evacuation procedures and routes, use of emergency notification systems, and information regarding local hospitals or trauma centers.

Law enforcement and first responders should be apprised of these plans and procedures and know how to implement them.

Everyone has a role in preventing school violence and creating safe school climates.

The threat assessment procedures detailed in this guide are an important component of school safety and security efforts and have been determined to be the best-practice in the prevention of targeted school violence.

The model highlights that students can engage in a continuum of concerning behaviors and communications, the vast majority of which may not be threatening or violent.

Nevertheless, it encourages schools to set a low threshold when identifying students who might be engaging in unusual behavior, or experiencing distress, so that early interventions can be applied to reduce the risk of violence or other negative outcomes.