Threat Assessment and Reporting

Identify and address threatening or concerning behaviors before they lead to violence.

Reporting on a variety of concerning student behaviors and other suspicious activities provides authorities and school personnel with the information they need to stop violence before it occurs. A 2008 study showed that, prior to an act of violence, most attackers behaved in a way that made others concerned, and other people knew about the attacker’s plan. Having a threat assessment program, or a multidisciplinary group process, to evaluate these reports can significantly reduce violence, including mass casualty attacks.

Schools should establish a reporting system that is continually monitored and allows anonymous reporting. Districts and schools should establish multidisciplinary teams and threat assessment programs to assess each report and respond to threats of violence and other concerning behavior.

Use the filter below to sort resources available based upon stages of preparedness.

Featured Resources

These resources are a starting point for learning about threat assessment and reporting. Use these resources to help implement a threat assessment and reporting system. Members of the school community can also download this SchoolSafety.gov infographic to learn more about threat assessment and reporting and access a sampling of resources.

Report

Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence

Department of Homeland Security, November 2019

This report identifies 41 incidents of attacks against K-12 schools in the United States from 2008 to 2017. Researchers with the USSS National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) examined the background and behaviors of the attackers and identified a series of 10 key findings and significant commonalities.

Guidance

Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model

Department of Homeland Security, July 2018

This guide provides actionable steps that schools can take to develop comprehensive targeted violence prevention plans and create processes and procedures for conducting threat assessments.

Training Program

REMS TA Center School Behavioral Threat Assessments: An Introduction

Department of Education

This training provides a one-day program designed to familiarize schools and school districts with school behavioral threat assessments in preventing and reducing targeted violence at K–12 schools.

Filter Resources

All Threat Assessment and Reporting Resources

The federal government identified additional resources that highlight strategies for school safety. Use these resources to learn more about threat assessment and reporting.

Case Study

Creation of School Shooting Open-Source Database Fuels Understanding

Department of Justice, 2022

This article outlines information on the first open-source catalog of U.S. school shootings that researchers used to better understand the causes of school-related gun violence and identify intervention points.

Fact Sheet

Threat Assessment and Management Teams

Department of Homeland Security, 2021

This guide provides an overview of threat assessment and management teams and includes toolkits and educational materials on best practices and models.

Program

Safe2Tell

Safe2Tell was founded on the idea that prevention and early intervention is the key to preventing violence and saving lives. The guiding principles of this safety and prevention initiative model include educating young people and school staff on critical issues; encouraging them to play a role in prevention; equipping them with a tangible direct way to report anonymously, while empowering them to make a difference.