District Administration - February 2009 - (Page 16)

CRISIS RESPONSE • Scott Poland A quick and well-planned response from the principal and threat assessment team is key to resolving a potentially violent situation. Middle school student Julie received a worrisome e-mail on her computer. Ben, an eighth-grader from her school, was warning her not to ride the bus the next day, as Ben planned to bring a gun and shoot several students. The threat specifically targeted John, a student with whom Ben had a troubled relationship. Julie shared the e-mail with her mother, who called the authorities as well as the school principal. The school has a safety program, which emphasizes that adults must be notified when there is a threat of violence. Those adults then need to take a number of steps. This article will outline those steps. Assessing the Threat The principal communicated immediately with law enforcement officials, who visited Ben’s home that evening to assess the situation. Ben was not arrested, as his father agreed to bring Ben to school the next morning for a meeting to determine the seriousness of the threat. Primary concerns were twofold: (1) assessing the severity of the threat and creating a safety plan, and (2) containing the rumors that were flying around the school. (Julie had forwarded Ben’s e-mail to a number of students, who then forwarded it to many others.) Creating the Assessment Team The principal convened a threat assessment team that included the school resource officer, school psychologist and two of Ben’s teachers. Ben’s school records were examined, including academics, discipline and bus behavior. his teachers were asked if they had had any concerns recently about Ben’s behavior in or out of 16 February 2009 School Shooting Threat the classroom. none had. The team decided that the school’s resource officer and its psychologist would interview Ben upon arrival at school and the principal would meet with his father. The principal prepared a carefully worded script for teachers that provided the facts of the incident thus far and indicated that the threat was being investigated. teachers were given guidance as to what to say in classrooms to assure students of their safety and to let them know that the principal and law enforcement officials, who were continuing the investigation, would share more information as the day progressed. Classifying the Threat Ben was asked to give his side of the story, and he admitted that he had a longstanding hatred of John and that he had planned to shoot John with a pistol. his father admitted that guns were readily available in his home and that Ben was experienced in using them. he also indicated that John had bullied Ben on the bus and had severely jammed Ben’s thumb earlier in the week. The interview and assessment also yielded the information that Ben’s mother had died of cancer a month before. his father worked evenings, and so Ben was largely unsupervised after school and in the evening. The threat was classified as “substantial,” and the school psychologist used the Psychological evaluation and Threat Risk Assessment (PetRA) to determine stressors for Ben. The PetRA is a standardized self-report instrument that analyzes factors to assist in the identification, assessment and management of threats of violence by adolescents. This and other very useful threat assessment tools are available from Psychological Assessment Resources (www.parinc.org). Next Steps The principal began his meeting with Ben’s father by asking him for information about Ben. The principal assured Ben’s father that the school sincerely cared about the welfare of all students, including Ben, and that he did not view the threat of violence as in any way the result of a failure on the part of Ben’s father. The father promised to lock up the guns in the home so that they were not available to Ben. he also said he would try to change his work hours so that he could spend more time with his son. The principal explained that the police would file no charges against Ben but that he would be immediately placed in an alternative education placement (AeP) where he could be more closely supervised and could District Administration http://www.parinc.org

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District Administration - February 2009 Contents Advertiser Index Editor's Letter News Update Security Curriculum Crisis Response Supervisor's Opinion The Rise of the Virtual Teacher Speaking Their Language Alternate Transportation Routes Opinion The Aftermath of the New 403(b) Regulations How Well Does This Web Site Work? Problem Solution New Products Product Focus Professional Opinion

District Administration - February 2009

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