Threat Assessment

Threat Assessment

Threat assessment is a behavioral approach to violence prevention that focuses on threats and other forms of student conflict before they escalate into violent behavior. The threat assessment team uses a problem-solving team approach to evaluate the risk of violence posed by someone and to intervene and resolve the issues that underlie the threatening behavior.

The goals of threat assessment are to keep schools safe and to help potential offenders overcome the underlying sources of their anger, hopelessness, or despair. Effective threat assessment provides school professionals with useful information about a student's risks and personal resources. Among the other potential student risks that can be identified and prevented are suicide, alcohol and drug use, physical abuse, dropping out, and criminal activity.

A Guide for School Personnel and Parents

The School District of Lee County is continuing to take steps to protect our children and employees from threats or violence in our schools. In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed and the governor signed into law the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, and the School District is establishing an amending policies and procedures for the prevention of violence on school grounds, including the assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of the school community.

Threat Assessment is an important aspect of the changes being made. Threat Assessment is a violence prevention strategy that involves identifying student threats to commit a violent act, determining the seriousness of the threat, and developing intervention plans that protect potential victims and address the underlying problem or conflict that stimulated the threatening behavior.

Educational Programs for Parents and Students

New online educational programs on school safety are available. These brief programs help students aged 12 and up and parents understand the threat assessment process to prevent violence.