Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence 2 nd Edition

Bureau of Justice Assistance U.S. Department of Justice

66080_IACP_Cover_ACG 1 9/11/09 12:19 PM This publication was supported by Grant No. 2007-DD-BX-K112 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of Justice.

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In t e r n a t I o n a l as s o c I a t I o n o f ch I e f s o f Po l I c e

Founded in 1893, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the world’s oldest and largest association of law enforcement executives, representing over 22,000 members in 100 countries.

The goals of the IACP are to advance the science and art of police services; to develop and disseminate improved administrative, technical and operational practices and promote their use in police work; to foster police cooperation and the exchange of information and experience among police administrators throughout the world; to bring about recruitment and training in the police profession of qualified persons; and to encourage adherence of all police officers to high professional standards of performance and conduct.

A core strength of the IACP is the unity with which it speaks on behalf of its members and the law enforcement profession. In an effort towards inclusiveness and brevity in addressing the broad scope of the police family, the following demographics are implied and considered when the phrase, “state, local and tribal” or “law enforcement” is employed. University and college; state and provincial; municipal; county; federal; Indian Country; public transit; marine; railroad; environmental; military; park police; capitol police; the various special investigative branches of prosecutorial agencies; and any legislatively authorized duly sworn and certified law enforcement agency.

Since 1893, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has been serving the needs of the law enforcement community. Throughout those past 100-plus years, the IACP has been launching historically acclaimed programs, conducting ground- breaking research and providing exemplary programs and services to our membership around the globe.

Professionally recognized programs such as the FBI Identification Division and the Uniform Crime Reporting Program can trace their origins back to the IACP. From spearheading national use of fingerprint identification to partnering in a consortium on community policing to gathering top experts in criminal justice, the government, and education for summits on violence, homicide, and youth violence, the IACP has realized its responsibility to achieve the goals of law enforcement.

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Bu r e a u o f Ju s t I c e as s I s t a n c e

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

BJA supports law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, victim services, technology, and prevention initiatives that strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system. BJA provides leadership, services, and funding to America’s communities by:

• Emphasizing local control • Building relationships in the field • Providing training and technical assistance in support of efforts to prevent crime, drug abuse, and violence at the national, state, and local levels • Developing collaborations and partnerships • Promoting capacity building through planning • Streamlining the administration of grants • Increasing training and technical assistance • Creating accountability of projects • Encouraging innovation • Communicating the value of justice efforts to decision makers at every level

BJA has three primary components: Policy, Programs, and Planning. The Policy Office provides national leadership in criminal justice policy, training, and technical assistance to further the administration of justice. It also acts as a liaison to national organizations that partner with BJA to set policy and help disseminate information on best and promising practices. The Programs Office coordinates and administers all state and local grant programs and acts as BJA’s direct line of communication to states, territories, and tribal governments by providing assistance and coordinating resources. The Planning Office coordinates the planning, communications, and budget formulation and execution; provides overall BJA- wide coordination; and supports streamlining efforts.

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acknowledgments

This document is the second edition of a guide that was initially prepared by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center (PERSEREC) for the IACP’s Private Sector Liaison Committee. PERSEREC staff members primarily responsible for project research and document preparation for the first edition were Alissa J. Kramen, Kelly R. Massey, Ph.D., and Howard W. Timm, Ph.D.

We would like to thank our team of subject matter experts who helped revise and review the second edition of this guide.

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ta B l e o f co n t e n t s

Section 1: Introduction ...... 1 Purpose ...... 1 Background ...... 1 Approach ...... 3 How to Use This Document ...... 3 Section 2: Prevention ...... 4 The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, and Staff ...... 4 The Role of Students ...... 12 The Role of Parents and/or Guardians ...... 13 The Role of the Community ...... 15 The Role of Law Enforcement ...... 16 Section 3: Threat Assessment ...... 17 Section 4: Crisis Planning and Preparation ...... 20 The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, and Staff ...... 20 The Role of Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Personnel ...... 23 Section 5: During a Major Crisis ...... 24 The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, and Staff ...... 24 The Role of Students ...... 24 The Role of Law Enforcement ...... 25 Section 6: After a Crisis ...... 26 The Role of School Administrators ...... 26 The Role of Teachers and Staff ...... 28 The Role of School Counselors, Psychologists, and Social Workers ...... 28 The Role of Parents and/or Guardians ...... 28 The Role of the Community ...... 28 The Role of Law Enforcement ...... 28 Section 7: Legal Considerations ...... 29 Liability of Schools When Students Are Harmed ...... 29 Liability of Schools for Wrongful Accusations and Discharge ...... 29 Liability of Schools for Violating Students’ Rights ...... 29 Liability of Parents and/or Guardians ...... 31 Section 8: Working with the Media ...... 32 Rights and Obligations of the Media ...... 32 Recommendations for Executives in the Television, Radio, Internet, Recording, Electronic Game, and Film Industries ...... 32 Planning for Media Coverage of School Violence ...... 34 Section 9: Resources ...... 37

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benefits beyond just reducing hazards associated se c t I o n 1 with school shootings. Additional benefits include the In t r o d u c t I o n following: • Lowering rates of delinquency, disruptive behaviors, Purpose harassment, bullying, suicide, and all other forms of The purpose of this document is to present different violence and antisocial behavior strategies and approaches for members of school • Increasing the likelihood troubled youth will be communities to consider when creating safer learning identified and receive treatment environments. No two schools are exactly alike, so it is • Improving the learning environment by reducing impossible to establish one plan that will work well in intimidating, disruptive, and disrespectful behavior all schools. Violence prevention programs work best • Preparing communities for responding to not only when they incorporate multiple strategies and address shootings at schools, but also all other human-made the full range of possible acts of violence in schools. For and natural disasters any set of policies to work, it must be established and implemented with the full participation and support of Background school board members, administrators, parents, students, School violence has come into the public eye after deadly community members, emergency response personnel, multiple shootings in such places as Littleton, Colorado; and law enforcement. Without such shared responsibility, Jonesboro, Arkansas; Santee, California; Red Lake, the chances of safe school policies being successfully Minnesota; Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania; and Cleveland, implemented and accepted are low. Ohio. The possibility of school shootings has become an issue for urban, rural, and suburban communities alike. All involved in working to prevent or respond to school Since 1992, more than 40 schools have experienced violence should be aware that no strategies in this or multiple victim homicides, many in communities where any other publication provide any guarantees against people previously believed “it couldn’t happen here.” violence. Recognition of the rarity of school shootings Given the number of students and schools in the United and the complexity and unpredictability of human States, multiple-victim homicides are still extremely rare, behavior should temper community initiatives as well and in recent years, the overall rate of violence in schools as expectations. Most of the interventions presented has actually declined. Physical conflicts, threats, and in this document, however, have the potential to yield harassment are, however, still common. Many students

Selected School and Campus Shootings teacher. McLaughlin claimed one of the victims had Since 1999 been teasing him. • Red Lake, Minnesota, March 21, 2005: Sixteen-year- • Mount Morris, Michigan, February 29, 2000: Six-year- old Jeffrey Wise shot and killed seven people on his old Derrick Owens found a .32-caliber handgun in school campus, including five students, one teacher, his uncle’s home and took it to school and shot a and an unarmed security guard. He had shot and classmate. killed his paternal grandfather and his grandfather’s • Santee, California, March 5, 2001: Fifteen-year-old girlfriend earlier that day. After exchanging fire with Andy Williams entered a boys’ bathroom at Santana police, Wise shot himself. High School and opened fire, killing one student. • Jacksboro, Tennessee, November 8, 2005: Fifteen- Williams then left the bathroom and began firing year-old Kenneth Bartley Jr. shot and killed assistant indiscriminately, killing one more and wounding 13 principal Ken Bruce and shot at two other school others, before two off-duty officers who were visiting officials. Bruce died of the injuries. Bruce had the school arrested him. confronted Bartley about carrying a gun at school. • Red Lion, Pennsylvania, April 24, 2003: Fourteen-year- • Bailey, Colorado, September 27, 2006: Fifty-three-year- old James Sheets armed himself with three handguns, two revolvers, and one semiautomatic gun. He shot old Duane Morrison entered the Platte Canyon High and killed the principal before shooting himself. School claiming to be carrying a bomb. He took six • Cold Springs, Minnesota, September 24, 2003: female students hostage, sexually assaulted them, and Fifteen-year-old Jason McLaughlin shot and killed later released four of the hostages. He shot and killed two classmates before surrendering to the gym one as SWAT entered the room before killing himself.

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Selected School and Campus Shootings wounded several others before shooting himself in Since 1999 (continued) the head. A week before the attack, the gunman had posted a video of himself on YouTube firing • Cazenovia, Wisconsin, September 29, 2006: Fifteen- a gun. It was titled “Jokela High School Massacre year-old Eric Hainstock, armed with a handgun and 11/7/2007,” identifying the date and location of a shotgun, aimed the shotgun at a social studies the attack. Police interviewed him after learning of teacher. A school custodian, Dave Thompson, the video but decided they did not have enough wrestled the gun away from Hainstock. The principal, evidence to revoke his firearms license. John Klang, also confronted Hainstock, who was still • Conway, Arkansas, October 26, 2008: Four men, ages armed with the handgun. Klang was shot but was still 19-20, shot and killed two students and wounded a able to wrestle Hainstock to the floor and hold him third person. The men appear to have driven up on a until officers arrived. Klang later died of his injuries. group of students near a dormitory at the University • Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, October 2, 2006: Charles of Central Arkansas and fired at least eight rounds Roberts IV took hostages at an Amish schoolhouse from a semiautomatic pistol. Police believe the victims and eventually shot and killed five girls before taking were not the intended targets but rather innocent his own life. bystanders. • Blacksburg, Virginia, April 16, 2007: Seung-Hui Cho • Winnenden, Germany, March 11, 2009: A 17-year-old shot and killed 32 people before committing suicide male dressed in military gear went to his former high on the campus of Virginia Tech. school and killed nine students and three teachers • Dekalb, Illinois, February 14, 2008: A 27-year-old as well as one person at a nearby clinic. In a police former student opened fire in a lecture hall at shootout, two additional passersby were killed and Northern Illinois University, killing six and injuring at two officers seriously injured, bringing the death toll least 15 others, before killing himself. to 16, including the gunman. • Fresno, California, April 16, 2008: A 17-year-old • Dearborn, Michigan, April 3, 2009: A murder-suicide student attacked a school police officer with a at a campus occurred when a 28-year-old male snuck modified bat, seriously injuring him. The police in a crudely shortened shotgun, killed a fellow student, officer, who had no previous interaction with the and then turned the gun on himself. The shooter was student, shot and killed him. notorious on the Internet, drawing condemnation • Kauhajoki, Finland, September 23, 2008: A 22-year- for videos on YouTube denigrating African American old male student shot and killed 10 people and women and atheists.

and teachers are more fearful than ever before when they • Excessive exposure to violence in television enter the doors of their school. This climate of fear makes programming, movies, and video games it more difficult for schools to provide positive learning • Drug or alcohol abuse environments. • Lack of conflict resolution skills • Lack of quality role models and the availability of The causes of school violence are subject to much inappropriate role models speculation. Violence does not stand alone; there are • Perceived lack of opportunity to be successful through usually multiple indicators. Possible contributors to school legitimate means violence mentioned in the literature include the following: • Failure to detect and treat children exhibiting • Exposure to violence in the family and the community warning signs of being troubled including a written • Child abuse and neglect or verbal behavior that indicates the child has • Poor parenting practices and lack of interest in perceived injustice, revenge fantasy, obsession with children’s activities revenge, desire to be notorious, preoccupation • Peer pressure to engage in harassment of other students, with previous school shootings or shooters, suicidal violent behavior, drug or alcohol use, and truancy or homicidal ideation, feelings of insignificance, • Prejudices based on race, religion, ethnicity, physical feelings of dehumanization, or a desensitization to appearance, social class, sexual orientation, disability, violence gender, and other traits • Lack of adult supervision of, and positive interaction • Access to information on how to make explosive with, children after school devices and unsupervised access to firearms • Negative self-image

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Selected Recent Success Stories They were charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms, and threatening • Dove Creek, Colorado, April 9, 2009: A plan to shoot a candidate for president. the high school principal and others at a school was • Norristown, Pennsylvania, September 24, 2008: A discovered when two boys, ages 16 and 19, were woman admitted she helped her troubled, bullied arrested in New Mexico on suspicion of burglary and 14-year-old son build a cache of weapons by buying theft. The 19-year-old told his family about the plot a rifle with a laser scope and gunpowder, which after the arrest. investigators said he was using to build grenades. • Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, March 17, 2009: An eighth- He also had knives, swords, and BB guns. The grade boy at a Catholic school was arrested for overweight teenager had been bullied at school and trying to recruit fellow students to carry out a plot was being home-schooled. He apparently idolized at the school. His plan was thwarted when one of the Columbine shooters, and violent Internet sites the students revealed that he’d been recruited to fueled his revenge fantasies. take hostages at the school and shoot anyone who • Columbia, South Carolina, April 19, 2008: A high resisted. The instigator had two plastic pellet guns school senior collected enough supplies to carry out that looked like real firearms. a bomb attack on his school and detailed the plot in • Bells, Tennessee, October 2008: Two young men, a hate-filled diary that included maps of the building ages 18 and 20, were charged with planning a killing and admiring notations about the Columbine killers. spree to shoot and decapitate African-American The student was arrested after his parents called people at a predominantly black school and top police when 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate was it off by killing Sen. Barack Obama. The men were delivered to their home and they discovered the apprehended after they shot out a church window journal. and drew racially motivated words on the sidewalk.

Approach should be reviewed, however, to gain an understanding Guidance for school violence prevention and response is of the different roles and elements needed to achieve offered in each of the following areas: an integrated approach for addressing the problem of • Ways to prevent student violence violence in schools. Among the ways the document can be • Threat assessment used are as follows: • Planning and training for what to do during an actual crisis • To help communities audit their schools’ • How to respond during a crisis existing policies, procedures, and plans. Not • How to handle the aftermath of a crisis every suggestion contained in this document • Legal considerations is appropriate for every school. All schools and • Recommendations for the media communities could benefit, though, from checking to see that they have considered and, where The roles of school administrators, teachers, and staff are appropriate, implemented the recommendations discussed. In addition, student, parent, law enforcement, likely to enhance school safety. and community roles are addressed. Throughout the • To serve as a basis for strengthening collaborative report, text boxes provide more in-depth information school violence policies, procedures, and plans. School or illustrate the potential value of the suggestions using safety planning committees can delete, revise, and add to recommendations in this document as needed to actual cases of school violence. address their unique needs and circumstances. • To help public safety and other crisis response How to Use this Document agencies assess their school safety plans. The table of contents provides a way to identify the • To provide guidance to members of the school sections of greatest interest. The entire document community.

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This would be especially appropriate for high schools se c t I o n 2 with a significant caseload of juveniles on probation. Pr e v e n t I o n 3. Use trained personnel—paid or volunteer—selected specifically to assist teachers and administrators in monitoring student behavior and activities. The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, Continuity of monitors within schools should be and Staff encouraged to facilitate good rapport with stu dents. Monitors should be trained on the different types of To be effective, violence prevention programs require violence likely to occur in the school; what behavior community-wide collaborative efforts that include students, to look for in potential perpetrators; and how to families, teachers, administrators, staff, social and mental document and report concerning behaviors. The health professionals, law enforcement, emergency number of monitors used should be based on the response personnel, security professionals, school board num ber of students, the extent of problems at the members, parents, the business community, and others. school, and the space and layout of school grounds. School administrators should bring together all of the 4. Develop and enforce restrictions about student above constituencies to develop strategies appropriate for loitering in parking lots, hallways, bathrooms, and their own particular school and community environments. other areas. Publish restrictions in the student handbook or code of conduct. While school boards and administrators create a climate 5. Consider the use of metal detectors in special of safety in schools, teachers, especially, must be directly circumstances to deter weapons on campus. involved and supported in all stages of developing 6. Adopt policies for conducting searches for weapons and implementing programs to achieve safer schools. and drugs. Teachers establish the first line of school safety, because 7. Require visitors to sign in and sign out at the school they have the most direct contact with students. Often, office and to wear visible visitors’ passes. Designate they also have great insight into the potential problems a staff member or volunteer monitor for each and realistic solutions applicable to their school. entrance and provide each with a radio. The monitor should notify all visitors that they must sign in, direct School Security them to the office, and radio the office to confirm The level of physical security may need to be modified in that the visitor checks in. The monitors should be order to lower schools’ vulnerability to violent behaviors. trained on what concerning behaviors to look for in a Different strategies will be required to address needs potential perpetrator. Escort any visitor that may be specific to individual elementary, middle, and high schools. suspicious to the office. 8. Encourage school personnel to greet strangers on Administrators should initiate a comprehensive security campus and direct them to sign in if they have not. assessment survey of their school’s physical design, safety Also instruct school personnel to report visitors who policies, and emergency procedures. The assessment have not signed in. should be conducted in cooperation with law enforcement, 9. Require students and staff to carry with them or school security staff, physical facilities personnel, fire wear their school photo IDs during school and at all and other emergency service personnel, teachers, staff, school-related activities. students, and other school community members. Using the 10. Establish a closed campus policy that prohibits conclusions of that survey, administrators should assign a students from leaving campus during lunch. safety and violence prevention committee composed of all 11. Establish a cooperative relationship with law of the above repre sentatives to develop a comprehensive enforcement and owners of adjacent properties security plan (School Site Safety Plan). Based on each to the school that allow for joint monitoring of school’s needs, school safety plans may include some or all student conduct during school hours. Encourage of the following suggestions: neighboring residents and businesses to report all criminal activity and unusual incidents. Establish 1. Use school resource officers (SROs) who may be a protocol at the school to handle calls from the provided by local law enforcement. SROs often neighborhood. provide law enforcement, law-related counseling, 12. Establish a professional relationship with a forensic and law-related education to students, faculty, and psychologist who specializes in violence assessment, staff. Continuity of officers in individual schools interruption, and prevention. should be encouraged, so that students and SROs 13. Consider providing and making use of alarm, develop a rapport. intercom, cell phone, building paging, two- 2. Consider seeking one or more probation officers for way radio, and mounted and handheld camera use on campus to help supervise and counsel students. monitoring systems on buses and school campuses.

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14. Ensure that people in each classroom have a way to Student Rules contact the office in case of emergencies and train Student rules must be communicated, understood, staff on what type of information should be reported and consistently enforced. They also must comply with and how it should be reported during emergencies. constitutionally guaranteed due process. Do not use codes or code words. 15. Develop a school bus rider atten dance checklist for 1. Establish rules of conduct pertaining to improper each bus and use it daily. student behavior using input from students, parents 16. Consider employing outside security personnel and/or guardians, staff, public safety officials, mental during school functions. The school district must health agencies, and legal counsel. outline the roles, responsibilities, and limits of such 2. Annually review and, if needed, revise rules of personnel, including whether they are armed and if student conduct. they are supposed to respond to an active shooter. 3. Ensure that all rules have a purpose that is The decision to use security officers and any contract clearly understood. They should be clear and with an outside security firm should be reviewed by communicated to all students in both written and legal counsel. verbal formats. Students’ comprehension of the rules 17. Patrol school grounds, especially in areas where should be assessed. students tend to congregate, such as parking 4. Post summaries of rules of student conduct in lots, hallways, stairs, bathrooms, cafeterias, and classrooms and through out the school. schoolyards. 5. Send rules home to be read by stu dents and parents 18. Develop threat and crisis manage ment plans and and/or guardians. Include an acknowledgment form provisions as out lined in Sections 3 and 4. for students, parents and/or guardians to sign and 19. Develop a comprehensive set of violence prevention return to the school. strategies based on the guidance provided in this 6. Hold meetings to communicate rules to parents and/ document and ensure that it is fully implemented. or guardians and, to the extent practicable, make sure 20. Publish all policies and restrictions in the student they understand them. Invite parents and/or guardians handbook or code of conduct. to call if they have questions about the rules. 7. Communicate rules in as many lan guages as needed. Reporting 8. Apply rules consistently. Establish consequences Establish a climate that encourages and enables students, for rule violations and apply them consistently and teachers, and parents and/or guardians to report threats without delay. and acts of violence. 9. Develop a consistent, timely, and effective means to notify parents and/or guardians of rule violations and 1. Within the limits of legal guidelines and statutes, consequences. maintain confidenti ality. 10. Establish clearly defined rules and appropriate 2. Develop and adequately communicate reporting consequences for all types of harassment, procedures with in put from school district officials and intimidation, and disrespect. Rules should cover local public safety agencies. Standard procedures adult and student behavior at all school events. should in clude definitions of pertinent in formation Parents and/or guardians and teachers need to act and how and where information should be distributed. as positive role models for students. 3. Consider establishing a properly staffed, confidential 11. Develop a specific policy and procedure to deal hotline for re porting issues of harassment, safety, with disturbed writing and threat making. Ensure vandalism, and so on. If answering machines are students and parents are aware of what the policy used, calls need to be retrieved in time to effectively is and what steps will be taken if a student makes address threats of violence. Ag gressively advertise a threat or writes something disturbing. If unsure, the hotline number to students and parents and/ school districts should consult with an individual who or guardians in student handbooks, on posters specializes in analyzing disturbing writing. throughout the school, on pencils, on student IDs, on 12. Suspend and recommend expulsion of students and lockers, and so on. Parents and students should also dismiss or discipline staff for serious rule violations. be advised when to use 9-1-1 rather than the hotline. Serious rule violations include the following: 4. Ensure that students understand that when reporting a. Possession of a firearm on school property or at a fellow classmate’s concerning behavior, the goal school events. The 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act is intervention, not punishment. Communicate man dates a one-year expulsion for students who to students that all threats of violence should be bring a firearm to school. The chief administrating reported even if they feel it is not a “real” threat. officer of the local education agency can modify the 5. Obtain training to recognize whether reports of expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis. All threats or acts of violence are false or malicious. local education agencies that receive funding from

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programs established through the Elementary and social skills. Use be havior modification or other Secondary Education Act must require all students appli cations of rewards and punishments to reduce found carrying a firearm to be referred to the delinquency. criminal justice or juvenile justice system. 6. Consider providing parents and/or guardi ans with b. Possession or use of a weapon on school counseling or training in parenting skills oriented grounds or at school events that is capable of toward reducing problematic behavior by students in inflicting serious bodily harm. school and at home. c. Physical assault of a teacher, an administrator, a 7. Recognize the risk involved in put ting troubled staff member, or a student. students together. Take appropriate security 13. Suspend and consider the appropri ateness of measures in light of that risk. expulsion for the follow ing: 8. Provide students of the appropriate age with career a. A verbal threat to a teacher, an ad ministrator, a counseling and information about employment staff member, or a student. opportunities. b. Possession, sale, or use of illegal drugs on campus. Student Court c. Actual or threatened retaliation against persons For noncriminal offenses, consider use of peer courts. who report threats or acts of violence. Be aware that the use of student courts to address other d. Communicated threats (e.g., bomb threats). students’ noncriminal offenses can have unintended consequences, such as lack of confidentiality, feelings Support for Teachers and Other Staff of being judged by fellow classmates, and increased Working in collaboration with faculty, the school feelings of group differences. administration has the responsibility to enforce school rules. 1. Consider having qualified adults oversee peer courts. 1. Take quick, consistent, and appro priate actions 2. Provide adequate training to peer court participants. toward students who are reported by teachers and 3. Tell the student(s) that they must abide by the other staff for rule violations. peer court’s decision and tell them about the 2. Provide times and locations for teachers to meet consequences for not complying. and discuss ways to maintain classrooms that are conducive to learning. Group teachers and other Positive Incentives personnel who work with the same troubled student Instead of focusing only on punishment of negative into teams to enable them to discuss that student behaviors, find ways to en courage positive behaviors. and strategies for managing him or her. 1. Create rewards for stu dents who perform acts of Programs for Suspended or Expelled Students good citizenship. For students who have been suspended or expelled, the 2. Invite community leaders to tell students about school should do the following: different ways they can achieve success. 3. Consider the potential value of school-wide 1. Provide an alternative educational program in a assemblies in which effective motivational speakers separate environment. Appropriate programs should deliver anti-drug, -alcohol, and -violence messages. be available for elementary, middle, and high school 4. Invite responsible adults to mentor and serve as grade levels. positive role models for students. 2. Provide a low student-to-staff ratio in the alternative 5. Promote press coverage of all types of students who educational program. have done well. 3. Consider requiring suspended or expelled students 6. Create programs that promote posi tive values, to participate in community-based programs so that incorporate building blocks for developing character, they would learn while help ing others. Possibilities and recognize students who exhibit posi tive traits. include working with neighborhood beautifi cation 7. Promote partnerships between schools and law efforts or with victims of vio lence where they would enforcement, com munity businesses, and service directly witness the effects of causing injury to others. organizations to recognize and re ward positive 4. Consider reducing the length of suspen sions in student behavior. exchange for successful completion of community service. Employee Screening 5. Consider providing extra counseling in areas such Teachers, staff, and volunteers can have a profound as anger manage ment, conflict management and effect on children’s development. Investigations should resolution, respecting the rights of others, and be conducted to avoid selecting potentially harmful or

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abusive teachers, staff, and volunteers. Some states have occurs, not punishment. Encourage parents and/or laws about screening people who work with children. guardians to report their concerns.

Use one or more of the following means in a manner Use of the School consistent with applicable law to screen potential teachers, 1. Serve as an advocate for Head Start and other on staff, and other non-students who are regularly on site: site quality preschool programs for younger children. 2. Promote free and attractive after-school activities • State sex offender registry check for all students. Ex amples include sporting activities, • Criminal background check assistance with schoolwork, and so cial events. Try to • Fingerprint check have at least one activity that would be of interest to • Employment, personal, and educa tion reference every type of student. The After-Schools Enrichment checks Grant Program can be used to help provide funding • Personal interviews for such activities. (More informa tion on after-school • On-the-job observation programs is provided in the text box on page 14. • Students’ evaluations of teacher per formance Addresses of Web sites with infor mation about • Professional disciplinary board back ground check funding are provided in Section 9.) • Alcohol and drug testing 3. Seek and promote partnerships with external • Psychological testing programs to provide super vised after-school on • Mental illness and psychiatric history check site activities. Programs selected should contribute to students’ safety and to their physical, moral, Class and School Size academic, emotional, or social development, such 1. Work toward creating and main taining optimal as 4-H, Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, and student-to-teacher ratios. This allows teachers to community youth sports programs. better identify warning signs demonstrated by students who may be prone to violence. School Physical Environment 2. Organize community-wide efforts to determine the A safe and secure physical environment promotes and most appropriate size of schools in each district. enhances the learning process. Schools where students are more connected to their school environment (including the people, the 1. Keep schools clean and in good repair to discourage facility, the operations, and the ac tivities) tend to vandalism and violence. have lower rates of violence. 2. Employ Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) techniques to reduce problems. Parent Outreach These measures use interior and exterior facility 1. Encourage faculty to solicit as much parental designs to increase the likelihood that acts of involvement as possible. Among the ways this misconduct on school premises will either be can be achieved are school and class newsletters, physically discouraged or observed and acted upon. classroom activities, Web sites, personalized phone CPTED can also yield designs that facilitate more calls, local newspapers, voice mail direct to teachers, effective emergency response to critical incidents. and opportunities for participation in school clubs, 3. Establish and enforce a dress code for students, organizations, and other extracurricular activities. faculty, and staff with input from all constituents. 2. Seek and promote innovative ways to help students Consideration also should be given to requiring and parents and/or guardians connect with their school uniforms. Dress codes can simplify school, faculty, and staff. Examples include having recognition of intruders, improve discipline, parent advisory meetings, using parents and/or decrease violence and other forms of misconduct, guardians as mentors or guest speakers, providing and minimize the impact of gangs and other fringe parents and/or guardians with child care for their groups on school property. children during school functions, establishing a parent lounge, and offering parenting classes. Counseling Services 3. Offer training to parents and/or guardians on what Schools should provide or refer stu dents to counseling behaviors to look for, what those behaviors can lead services, including emotional (such as grief, anger to, and what parents and/or guardians can do if they manage ment, depression), social development, are concerned about their child. Section 7 addresses exceptional student (such as gifted or dis abled), the legal implications of failing to take action. academic, vocational, prena tal and reproductive, gang, 4. Make it known to parents and/or guardians that psychological, family, and substance abuse. Each area the goal is intervention before a violent incident requires different knowledge, skills, and abilities.

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Schools should ensure that students in need have access 2. Select which conflict resolution programs would be to counselors qualified to treat their respective problems. most appropriate for the school. Coun seling services should be of adequate duration 3. Find trainers to implement the pro gram. and provide continuity of treatment. When student 4. Commence training at the earliest age-appropriate needs exceed the counseling resources of the school, school level. Con tinue the training throughout stu- recommendations for community assis tance should be dents’ education. provided. Cooperative arrangements may be possible 5. Obtain support and involvement from faculty and with neighboring school districts or with other city, county, parents and/or guardians. or state organiza tions that provide or use these services. 6. Teach conflict resolution to students by using activities incorporated into the curriculum and 1. Provide counseling services in a manner consistent by having teachers and staff model appropriate with national professional standards (such as those of behav iors. the Na tional Association of School Psy chologists, the 7. Evaluate the success of the program against goals. American Counseling Association, and the National Association of School Social Workers) regarding appropriate treatment and student-to-counselor ratios. Social Skills Training 2. Establish training programs under the supervision of Social skills training enables students to have positive a trained coun selor in which students can be taught and respectful interactions with other students, parents, to help other students. Match stu dents with peers faculty, and staff. Positive relationships can reduce who can relate to the student receiving advice and tendencies toward violent behavior. to his or her problems. 3. Ensure that counselors have adequate information 1. Encourage faculty to teach and model positive about and access to community resources. social skills. 4. Ensure parents and/or guardians and students are 2. Implement life skills training throughout the informed of the different types of counseling services curriculum to teach students how to recognize available and know how they can obtain them. problem situations, manage stress, achieve self- 5. Identify at-risk students and provide counseling. control, and demonstrate emo tional maturity.

Conflict Resolution Programs Cognitive Skills Training Conflict resolution and management programs teach Encourage faculty and staff to chal lenge the way students people to find peaceful solutions to conflict. These think about problem solving. Violence in school settings programs use negotiation, mediation, and consensus often erupts as impulsive or irrational reactions to decision-making to find solutions that are positive for all immediate problems. parties. They attempt to create win-win situations. 1. Teach means-ends thinking, in which students learn 1. Conduct a needs assessment to de termine the types how to reach a goal by step-by-step planning, of conflicts that tend to occur and how they are best identifying potential obstacles, and accepting that resolved. problem solving often takes time.

Examples of Conflict Resolution and delinquency problems. Peer mediation also must be Management Approaches made available when it is needed, not just when it is convenient for peer counselors and staff. The process curriculum approach devotes a specific time to teaching prob lem-solving skills in a separate course or curriculum. The peaceable classroom approach brings conflict resolution into core sub ject areas and uses the techniques to help manage the classroom. The mediation program approach trains people in conflict resolution to provide third-party mediation to others trying to resolve a dispute. Peer mediation has The peaceable schools approach builds on the former been found to work well for many but not all problems. approaches by using con flict resolution as a tool for For example, peer mediation counseling should helping to manage the entire school. not be used for responding to serious or persistent

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2. Teach analytical thinking, in which students learn how (students, staff, parents and/or guardians, teachers, to weigh the ap propriate pros and cons when decid- volunteers, and law en forcement). Communicate ing whether to carry out an act. that defi nition to students, teachers, parents and/or 3. Teach alternative solution thinking, in which students guardians, and staff. The definition should include learn to find new solutions to a problem. physical, verbal, and psychological aspects of 4. Teach consequential thinking, in which students learn bullying. to consider different outcomes that might result from 2. Establish specific rules prohibiting, and con- a given action. sequences for, bullying activity as part of a comprehensive school code of conduct. Diversity Issues 3. Seek information about the motiva tions behind Intolerance often leads to conflict, interferes with the specific incidents of bullying. learning process, and has been a factor in violence in 4. Establish a reporting mechanism by which the schools. The purpose of diversity training is to try to incidents of bullying can be reported and recorded reduce intolerance. immediately after they occur. 5. Ensure reporting procedures address with whom and under which circumstances information will and will not 1. Design and distribute a diversity acceptance policy be shared. Care should be taken to do the following: to students, par ents and/or guardians, teachers, and a. Protect witnesses and victims from retaliation. staff. Include a description of forbidden behaviors, b. Meet applicable standards for confidentiality. responsibilities of stu dents and staff, consequences c. Ensure that personnel involved with victims of engaging in prohibited behaviors, and locations of and bullies have the information they need to pertinent school and community resources. effectively work with them. 2. Provide diversity acceptance training to all staff and d. Protect the accused from false allegations. faculty. 6. Notify the parents and/or guardians of both the 3. Give all students diversity acceptance training in the victims and the perpetrators whenever a report of classroom and in assemblies, incorporating small group bullying is filed. Establish a policy regarding the cir- discussions to augment awareness and sensitivity. cumstances under which parents and/or guardians of Consider activities that celebrate the school’s cultural bullies and their victims should be called in for an on diversity. Make sure that all activities are appropriate site conference. for the particular age and cultural groups with and for 7. Continually monitor the number of reported incidents whom they are being implemented. of bullying, and for each incident document what 4. Use progressive discipline for acts of intolerance. action was taken to disrupt the behavior. Use nondisciplinary actions (such as counseling, 8. Regularly conduct a survey as sessing the parent conferences, community service, or awareness prevalence, location, and kind of bullying activities training) for minor, first-time infractions. Progressively that are occurring. Include students, parents and/ increase discipline (from detention to suspension to or guardians, teachers, and staff. Also address expulsion, for instance) for re curring or more serious bullying activities that occur on the way to and violations. from school. Work with community policing 5. Recognize that certain types of graf fiti, literature, and efforts to help make stu dents’ journeys to and actions may be indicators of a hate crime or a case from school safe and free from acts of intimi- of harass ment. Collect, store, and monitor data on dation. For surveys requiring stu dent input, follow these types of occurrences and share this information administration guidelines regarding the possible with po lice. Consider photographing graffiti. need for parental approval. 9. Consider holding focus groups to discuss the nature Anti-bullying Programs of the problem of bullying and ways to solve it. Bullying is a range of behaviors, both verbal and physical, 10. Identify community resources that can be used to that intimidate others and often lead to antisocial and intervene immedi ately as well as those that can unlawful acts. Staff, students, and parents and/or guardians be used to develop additional intervention and need to understand that bullying is a pervasive problem prevention programs. Ensure that adequate social that leads to violence. Bullying should neither be thought of service and mental health resources are both as a kids-will-be-kids occurrence nor be accepted as a way available and being used. of life. Implement anti-bullying programs that include the 11. Take actions to identify bullies and victims and to following school-wide, classroom, and individual tactics: promote intervention at the classroom level and at other student contact points in schools. Develop 1. Clearly define what constitutes bul lying activity with a program that provides victims with immediate input and in volvement from the school commu nity support services and referrals and teaches avoidance

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tech niques and coping skills. Refer of fenders to 16. Develop a climate that encourages open available support serv ices. communication between stu dents and adults. It 12. Advise teachers and staff to record events as well as should maxi mize the options by which students can the interventions and strategies that are implemented transmit their concerns about violence to school to address different instances of bullying. personnel, foster an environment of trust, and be sensitive to their fears of retaliation. Programs to Reduce Isolation and Alienation and to Promote Respect Drug and Alcohol Education School administrators and teachers should identify and The use of drugs and alcohol is often associated with implement pro grams that increase self-re spect and violence and other forms of delinquent behavior. respect for others. In general, these programs should do 1. Educate students about the dangers and illegality of the following: drug and alcohol use. 2. Identify and implement age-appro priate programs that include discus sions about how students can 1. Establish standards for how people should treat resist negative peer pressure. Use role playing and each other. other types of activities to supplement discussions. 2. Ensure that classroom standards are consistent with 3. Educate parents and/or guardians and en list school and district policies. their support in addressing the dangers of drug 3. Ensure that classroom standards are reviewed in and alcohol abuse. Parents and/or guardians and class and that a copy of them is sent to the parents teachers need to realize that their own behaviors in and/or guardians. these areas influence children. 4. Coordinate a cooperative effort to create and 4. Avoid programs that are based pre dominantly on disseminate statements of values that all affiliates of fear arousal, moral appeal, or the simple distribution the school will be expected to follow. All members of information. should be able to state their school’s values. For 5. Establish a contract requiring students who examples of school values statements, see the text participate in extra curricular activities to agree not to box on page 15. use alcohol or drugs. 5. Establish better lines of communi cation with 6. Identify community resources to which parents students who may feel alienated or isolated or have and/or guardians and students with alcohol- or low self-esteem. substance-abuse problems can be referred for 6. Increase the number and diversity of positive information or intervention. extracurricular activities available to students. 7. Help students become more suc cessful in achieving desirable short- and long-term goals and increase Anti-gang Programs the likelihood that their progress is recognized and Gang membership is destructive to a healthy school rewarded. environment. Members of gangs are more likely than 8. Teach students how to resist others’ efforts to other students to carry weapons and engage in acts of intimidate or isolate them. violence. 9. Initiate a community service re quirement for middle and high school graduation. 1. Establish partnerships with law en forcement to 10. Model and reinforce values such as learning, respect, exchange in formation and educate teachers character, and co operation. and staff about the presence of gangs and their 11. Encourage students to work to gether through the activities. use of coopera tive learning techniques such as team 2. Establish and fund gang resistance and violence projects. prevention teams to implement community, 12. Encourage the contemplation of core values family, and youth education programs and to (respect, responsibility, trust, sharing, and so on) provide alternative activities in which children can through the use of age- and curriculum-appropriate participate. Teams should include educators, law writing assignments and class discussions. enforcement, probation officers, community leaders, 13. Encourage students to become ac tively involved in students, school resource officers, gang specialists, the school commu nity. mental health pro fessionals, and parents and/or 14. Recognize and reward students who exhibit positive guardians. and responsible be havior. 3. Become aware of gang-related clothing, 15. Offer troubled and withdrawn stu dents, including paraphernalia, and behav ior. Establish a school dress victims, help outside of class with schoolwork and code that would exclude outward manifestations of personal problems. gang membership.

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4. Inform parents and/or guardians if their children are identify and get help for troubled students before suspected of involve ment in gangs and give them they become victims of suicide. In clude how to get relevant information, counseling, and access to immediate help to prevent or respond to suicide available pertinent resources. attempts. 4. Develop a detailed crisis plan to address the Suicide Prevention aftermath of a suicide to avoid any copycat suicides. Suicide is a far more common form of violence involving students than school homicide. In some cases, Training and Technical Assis tance for Teachers perpetrators of school shootings felt their actions would and Staff lead to their being killed by police, which also could be Because teachers and staff establish the first line of considered a form of suicide. It is hoped that effective school safety, they should be supported in creating safe suicide prevention will decrease the occurrence of both classroom atmospheres. Schools should provide training suicide and violence by students who believe their acts and technical assistance to teachers and staff in the will result in their being killed by others. following areas: 1. Conflict resolution and management. 1. Develop a plan that specifies how to identify 2. Hostility and anger management. students at risk, how to handle threats, and what 3. Victim sensitivity and support. actions to take in the event of a suicide. 4. Crisis and critical incident management. 2. Ensure that students have, and are aware of, easy 5. Bullying and harassment recogni tion, prevention, ways to get help, such as access to suicide hotlines, and intervention. counselors, and written and visual materials. 6. Who should, how to, and where to refer students and 3. Educate students, parents and/or guardi ans, families to social service agencies. teachers, and other school per sonnel on how to 7. Classroom management.

Identifying Warning Signs of Potential Violence • Continues exhibiting antisocial behaviors that began Learn to identify characteristics of persons who at an early age exhibit warning signs of potential violence. Schools • Forms or maintains friendships with others who have tend to single out students who are bullied or who repeatedly engaged in problem behaviors exhibit mental health problems as potential violent • Often engages in name calling, cursing, or abusive perpetrators. The key is focusing on the behaviors the language individual is engaging in, not personal characteristics. • Has brought a weapon or has threatened to bring a Those who display these signs should be referred to weapon to school appropriate agencies or individuals such as counselors, • Consistently makes violent threats when angry parents, law enforcement, and social, medical, and • Has a substance abuse problem mental health services. When deciding whether and • Is frequently truant or has been suspended from where to make referrals, one should consider applicable school on multiple occasions regula tions concerning parental consent, confidentiality, • Seems preoccupied with weapons or violence, and mandatory reporting requirements. especially weapons associated more with killing humans than with target practice or hunting These signs simply mean that a child appears to be • Has few or no close friends despite having lived in troubled, and violence might be one of the possible the area for some time outcomes of this distress. Identifying signs neither • Has a sudden decrease in academic performance or stigmatizes children or assumes that they will be violent interest in school activities just because they are at risk for such behavior. Other • Is abusive to animals warning signs may also exist. Consequently, this list • Has too little parental supervision, given the should not be considered all-inclusive, and certain student’s age and level of maturity items and combina tions may be far more indicative of • Has been a victim of abuse or been neglected by a potential problem than others. The signs include the parents and/or guardians following: • Has repeatedly witnessed domestic abuse or other • Has engaged in violent behavior in the past forms of violence • Has tantrums and uncontrollable angry outbursts • Has experienced trauma or loss in the home or the abnormal for someone that age community

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Identifying Warning Signs of Potential Violence • Has threatened or attempted suicide or acts of (continued) self-mutilation • Written or verbal evidence that indicates a fixation on • Pays no attention to the feelings or rights of others a perceived injustice, a revenge fantasy, an obsession • Intimidates others with revenge, a desire to be notorious, a preoccupation • Has been a victim of intimidation by others with previous school shooters or shootings, suicidal • Dwells on perceived slights, rejection, or or homicidal ideation, feelings of insignificance, mistreatment by others; blames others for problems dehumanization, and insensitivity to violence and appears vengeful • Seems to be preoccupied with TV shows, movies, When characteristics in the last category are identified video games, reading material, or music that express along with any of the behaviors in the other categories, violence the threat and violence team needs to be notified • Reflects excessive anger in writing projects immediately. • Is involved in a gang or antisocial group • Seems depressed or withdrawn or has exhibited When an individual exhibits any of the warning signs severe mood or behavioral swings, which appear the district should consider referring the student to an greater in magnitude, duration, or frequency than individual violence risk assessment specialist. Simply those typically experienced by students that age referring the individual to a mental health professional • Expresses sadistic, violent, prejudicial, or intolerant is seldom sufficient; few mental health professionals are attitudes trained in violence risk assessments.

8. How to identify and defuse potentially violent The Role of Students situations. The majority of students recognize they share in the 9. How teachers’ and other staff mem bers’ own responsibility to prevent school violence. Not only do behavior may diffuse or escalate conflict. they suffer the consequences when it occurs but they 10. How to identify troubled students. Examples of also provide an essential perspective on how to promote warning signs are provided in the text box on page school safety. Therefore, students should be included 11. in all efforts to create safer schools. The following are 11. How to communicate and work with parents and/or steps students can take to help reduce violence in their guardians to inter vene in the behavior of troubled schools. stu dents. 12. How to most effectively work with classes that have 1. Know and follow their school’s vio lence prevention ethnic and eco nomic diversity. policies. 2. Work with teachers and adminis trators to create a Evaluation safe way to re port threats. 1. Routinely monitor and evaluate the steps taken to 3. Learn about who they can go to with information improve school safety. and concerns about violence and harassment. 2. Conduct surveys of the school community 4. Listen to friends who share upset ting thoughts or to determine perceptions of safety, areas for display troubling, harmful, or dangerous behavior, improvement, and the effectiveness of school safety and encourage them to seek help from a parent or programs. guardian, teacher, school counselor, or other trusted 3. Maintain statistics on discipline cases, adult. suspensions, expulsions, students found with 5. Confide in a parent or guardian, teacher, or other weapons, and incidents of verbal or physical trusted adult if they persis tently feel so down, sad, or harassment. empty that they don’t want to go out and do things, 4. Organize a committee of students, teachers, staff, are not able to sleep, have difficulty concentrating, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, feel helpless or an gry, or feel like they are losing and parents and/or guardians to periodically control over their thoughts or emotions. review and analyze the collected information and 6. Immediately report suspicious behavior and to suggest new or modified violence prevention threats of violence or suicide to a school official or strate gies. another responsible adult. Stu dents who do not

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feel comfortable speaking directly to school offi- Topics to Discuss with Children cials or adults should use another means, such as 1. The school’s discipline policy. Parents and/or anonymous hotlines or notes. guardians should know the policy, communicate their 7. Help organize and participate in after-school support for it, discuss the reasons behind it, and activities with re sponsible members of the com- expect their children to comply. munity. Encourage peers to do the same. 2. Their school’s safety and security procedures. 8. Participate in ongoing activities that promote Parents and/or guardians should know the school safety. Actively participate in programs procedures, make certain their children know them, such as conflict resolution, prob lem solving teams, and communicate why they expect their children to mentoring pro grams, peer courts, commu nity follow them. service, and peer mediation. 3. Their own positive household rules, family values and 9. Act as positive role models for peers and younger traditions, behav ior expectations, and the reasons students. Ac cept responsibility for their actions behind them. and consider the impact their actions have on 4. Violence in television shows, video games, movies, others. and books. Talk about the impact of violence in the 10. Refrain from belittling, harassing, and bullying other media and its real-life consequences. students. Be tolerant of other students and their 5. How to solve problems peacefully. differences. 6. The value of individual differences. 11. Learn techniques to avoid and cope with negative 7. Their children’s concerns about friends and other peer pressure. people who may be exhibiting threatening or 12. Speak out and refuse to join in when members violent behavior. Parents and/or guardians should of groups or cliques with whom they are in volved share this information with the friends’ parents or engage in negative behav iors toward others, such as guardians, a trusted adult at the school, or other acts of harassment or vandalism. appropriate authorities in a way that protects the con fidentiality of their own children as needed and The Role of Parents and/or Guardians possible. 8. Personal safety issues and appropri ate responses to Parents and/or guardians are an essential part of school them. violence prevention. Demonstrating an interest in their 9. Their children’s day-to-day activi ties, children’s lives is one of the most important steps parents accomplishments, concerns, and problems. and/or guardians can take to help prevent youth violence. Open communication between children and their parents or guardians is critical. Actions Parents and/or Guardians Can Take with Children Parents and/or guardians should be invited to help design 1. Model appropriate behaviors. Dem onstrate healthy and implement safety plans. Information and training ways to express an ger and relieve stress. Do not sessions should be provided on school safety policies and show anger in verbally or physically abu sive ways. programs. Parents and/or guardians should be informed 2. Watch their children carefully for any troubling of other steps they can take to contribute to a safe school behaviors. Parents and/or guardians should learn the environment. warning signs for at-risk children and how to get help

Ways Parents and/or Guardians Can Supervise • Look for signs that their children may be involved Children’s Use of the Internet with online criminal activity or be interacting with potentially dangerous people. • Consider placing computers in locations where • If training is needed, attend classes. parents and/or guardians can observe what their • If training classes are not available, ask school children are seeing. administrators, law enforcement, or the local parent- • Establish family rules for Internet use and inform teacher association to consider offering them. children that their use of it will be monitored. Resources are available through the National Center • Use filtering or blocking software to restrict their for Missing and Exploited Children’s NetSmartz children’s access to inappro priate sites and material. Program at www.netsmartz.org. • Search their home computer files to see what sites their children have visited.

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from school or community professionals. For 7. Monitor and supervise their chil dren’s reading a list of warning signs, refer to the text box on material, television, video games, and music for page 11. inappro priately violent content. 3. Take an active role in their chil dren’s education. 8. Monitor and supervise their chil dren’s use of the Visit and volun teer at their school, monitor their Internet. For more information, see the text box on schoolwork, and get to know their teachers. page 13. 4. If asked, participate in school safety planning 9. Check a child’s bedroom and other rooms for signs sessions. of violence ideation. 5. Initiate or participate in violence prevention groups 10. Talk to employers about having special in their commu nity, such as Communities that Care considerations for parents and/or guardians who and Mothers Against Violence in America. want to participate in school activities. 6. Get to know their children’s friends and families. 11. If needed, attend anger management, parenting Establish a network to exchange information with skill, or conflict resolution classes offered by the other parents. school or other organizations.

After-School Programs order to demonstrate and reinforce the participants’ An Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency social bonds to them. Prevention (OJJDP) report to Congress issued in July 1999 reported that juvenile violence frequently occurs in To increase the effectiveness of these programs in the context of unsupervised groups of adolescents. The preventing youth violence, consider the following: report also noted that youth who are in a supervised • Offering as many positive after-school options as setting after every school day tend to be less delinquent possible, so they attract the broadest range of students. than those with fewer after-school hours supervised • Eliminating roadblocks to student participation by by adults. Among the possible reasons for their lower taking steps like offering the programs free, providing delinquency rate are the following: scholarships, scheduling activities at times and • It is more difficult to avoid being caught and locations convenient for parents and/or guardians punished for engaging in bad behaviors while under and students, and providing transportation. close adult supervision. • Helping to increase the consistency and longevity of • Participants have additional exposure to positive each positive after-school activity. Working parents and/ adult and student role models. or guardians need to be able to depend on consistent • After participating in their programs, they have drop-off and pick-up times and locations. The success reduced time and energy to get in trouble. of programs is also often dependent on after-school • During program hours participants are more likely to activities’ obtaining a good reputation among students associate with and develop friendships with children and on the same students signing up for those activities who are less likely to promote or accept negative year after year. Continuity also provides participants behaviors. with an opportunity to improve their proficiency in • Program participation may increase self-esteem those activities over a longer period of time. or perceptions of having a positive future, which • Ensuring each after-school activity supports academic would give them less to gain, and more to lose, from advancement. This can be accomplished by making engaging in negative behaviors. sure participants have sufficient time to study; providing student or program staff tutors; and encouraging Despite these potential benefits, after-school programs participants to study, not drop out of school, and do not always result in localized decreases in juvenile do as well as possible in their classes. After-school violence rates. Among the possible reasons are the activities may be one of the few positive school-related following: experiences that some students have each day and • Not everyone participates. Children who need may be their primary reason for not dropping out. supervision the most may be the least likely to These programs need to be designed to complement participate. If this is the case, after-school programs academic achievement, not compete with it. could widen the gap between those less likely and • Ensuring each after-school activity contributes to those more likely to engage in negative behaviors. participants’ social and moral development. This can • Some of the participants’ delinquent friends and be accomplished by stressing concepts such as good acquaintances who do not participate may pressure sportsmanship, being a team player, helping others, those who do to engage in negative behaviors in sharing, and cooperation.

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Sample Values Statements • Each student should share a common body of Statements of values should be broad in reach but short knowledge which enables them to act in an ethical in length. If properly used in both award and disciplinary manner (responsible, functional, independent settings they can take on real meaning as a cornerstone member of society). of student, teacher, and staff commitment to the school • The school should strive to meet the individual and the larger community. Knowledge of school values student’s learning style. can be reinforced by listing them on posters throughout • The school should be able to adapt to the changing the school, on ID holders, on stickers, and on other community. promotional items. The statement of values below is from West Decatur The following is the statement of values for Green Run Elementary School in Decatur, Alabama. At West Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We believe: Decatur, we believe: • All children can learn if given the opportunity to do so. • Every individual deserves to be treated with dignity • Children will consistently strive to meet high and respect. expectations. • Every individual is entitled to a quality education in a • The school should provide a safe and positive safe, nurturing, and orderly environment. environment in which each student can achieve success. • Every individual needs to believe in the worth of • Students learn best when they have the support and themselves and others. encouragement of parents, community, teachers, and • Every individual needs to accept consequences for peers. chosen behavior.

12. Establish and consistently enforce household rules The Role of the Community and reward positive behavior. For any safe schools program to be effective, it is 13. Provide quality child care for their children. necessary to obtain the active participation of the 14. Promote a healthy and safe lifestyle by prohibiting community in planning and implementation. School offi- the illegal or irrespon sible use of alcohol, tobacco, or cials should make an effort to recruit individual members other drugs in their home. of the community, local businesses, community service 15. If needed, seek out support groups to improve organizations, attorneys, clergy, mental health and child parenting skills or to manage anger and frustration. welfare personnel, local officials, family agency staff, and 16. Provide a quality after-school environment for their recreational organizations. The following are additional children. See the text box on after-school programs specific suggestions for members of the community. on page 14. 17. Monitor and supervise their chil dren’s whereabouts (where they are, how they can be reached, and how Individual Community Member Actions to reach their children’s friends’ parents). Encourage 1. Volunteer for mentoring programs such as Big and facilitate their association with friends who seem Brothers Big Sisters of America. to reinforce good behavior. Make their home a place 2. Take the initiative to help create, run, or volunteer for where children and their well-behaved friends are an after-school recreation program. welcome, comfortable, adequately supervised, 3. If qualified, consider volunteering to provide care for and safe. troubled youth and their families. 4. Provide community-based services that care for Firearms and Ammunition children in need and their families. 1. Keep firearms and ammunition locked up and in separate locations. Secure the keys in a location un- Businesses and Community Organization Actions known to children. Many children who bring firearms 1. Adopt and support a local school. to school obtain them from their own households. 2. Hire high school students as part-time employees. 2. Monitor children’s environments for indications of Actively seek out student volunteers and interns. weapons and destruc tive devices. 3. Allow employees who are students enough time 3. Teach children about the dangers of firearms. off to study. Provide extra time off during final 4. Be aware of and concerned about easily accessible exams. firearms or ammu nition at the homes of friends, rela- 4. Be considerate of employees who want to attend tives, and neighbors. their children’s school activities.

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5. Give basic job skills training to students. how to spot concealed weapons and what steps 6. Develop a scholarship program. they should and should not take when they suspect 7. Offer support to schools by providing needed students are carrying them. services, facilities, equipment, and so on. 6. Provide schools, students, and par ents and/or 8. Work with school administrators to create positive guardians with information about police department community service learning experiences for young resources. people. 7. Provide schools with guidelines and examples of 9. Work with school administrators to provide career when to call the police. information. 8. Assist school officials with the screening of employees and volunteers, including checking criminal history The Role of Law Enforcement files and sex of fender registries. Law enforcement should work with schools to formulate 9. Serve on school threat and discipli nary action district-wide and school-specific violence prevention assessment teams, along with teachers, administra- programs and crisis response plans. tors, and counselors. 10. Try to maintain a constructive re lationship with students, parents, and school employees. This allows Police Training law enforcement officials to be seen as problem 1. Address the conditions that con tribute to school solvers and positive role models, rather than just violence. en forcers. A constructive relationship can help foster 2. Include in-service training that ad dresses factors respect for author ity. Ways to establish such a rela- influencing school violence, conflict resolution, tionship include the following: school violence scenarios, and response guidelines. a. Bicycle registration drives 3. Train officers how to handle inter actions with school b. Sponsored recreational activi ties administrators, teachers, and students. c. Explorer or cadet programs 4. Train selected officers how to con duct school d. Parent, student, and teacher in-service training security assessments. programs 11. Initiate and participate in pro grams for juvenile Police Activities offenders using interventions that are appropriate 1. Patrol school grounds and develop a school resource for their risk factors and violations. officer (SRO) pro gram. SROs can deter violence and 12. When appropriate, make follow-up visits to the other forms of misconduct by being a visible presence homes of juvenile of fenders. Consider also the at the school and by helping the school develop and appro priateness of conducting consent or warrant implement violence prevention programs. searches in cases involving students who made 2. Develop and maintain working partnerships with threats or brought weapons to school. area schools. 13. Develop task forces aimed at en forcing laws among 3. Work with schools, parents and/or guardians, and minors. truants to lower truancy. Bring students found 14. Develop a plan for cracking down on illegal gun outside of school during school hours either back sales and work to educate parents and/or guardians to school or to a truancy center. Visit the homes on firearm safety, including the proper storage of of these children to help determine whether their weapons in the home. parents or guardians have been neglectful or 15. Enforce existing truancy laws. abusive. 16. Use other federal, state, and local criminal justice 4. Consult with school administra tors, teachers, and agencies and law enforcement departments as parents and/or guardians about school security. re sources to help determine the best possible safe 5. In concert with school and po lice department legal school strategies for the community. counsel, pro vide guidance to school personnel on

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2. Define the nature and scope of threats that should se c t I o n 3 and should not invoke the involvement of the threat th r e a t as s e s s m e n t assessment team. The types of threats include bomb threats, threats against children by parents and/ or guardians in custody battles, personal vendettas It is important to prepare a threat assessment strategy so that be tween students or gangs, threats against teachers when a threat occurs, everyone will know there is a policy or staff involved in domestic conflict, threats of and understand what actions to take. Threats are alarming re taliation, efforts to intimidate, and any other statements or behaviors that give rise to concern about type of alarming behav ior that involves members subsequent violence. Among the possible components of of the school community or its property. Focus on threat assessment strategies are the following: threatening behavior, not just verbalized or written threats. 1. Establish a threat assessment team that would be 3. Establish a policy to ensure that reports of threats called in to as sess the credibility of, and needed submitted from both inside and outside the school response for, serious threats. The team should include are routed to the appropriate ad ministrator and school and school district administrators, legal investigated. counsel, and representatives from law enforcement. It 4. Establish procedures for recording and monitoring might also in clude security personnel, mental health threats. Document threatening behavior, what professionals, threat assessment experts, and any interventions are put in place, and the individual’s other person who could contribute in a meaningful behavior after the intervention. If the threatening way. Normally, the permanent members of the threat behavior continues, a more significant intervention assessment team would also serve on the school site needs to be put in place. Guidelines pertaining to safety and violence prevention committee, the crisis what information should be included in threat inci- planning team, and the crisis management team. dent reports are presented in the text box below.

Threat Incident Report • The names of witnesses School and school district policy should require • What happened to the threat-maker after the students and employees to report all threats or incident incidents of violent behavior they observe or are • What happened to the other students or employees informed about to the designated administration directly involved after the incident representative (DAR). The DAR should take the steps • The names of any administrators, teachers, or staff necessary to complete a threat incident report as and how they responded. quickly as possible, including private interviews of the • What events triggered the incident victims and witnesses. The report will be used by the • Any history leading up to the incident threat assessment team to assess the safety of the • The steps that have been taken to ensure the threat school and to decide on a plan of action. The threat will not be carried out, including what interventions assessment should include behavioral data, rather are put into place than personal characteristics. It should include the • Suggestions for preventing school violence in the following: future • The name of the threat-maker and his or her relationship to the school and to the recipient Elements of the threat incident report and any • The names of the victims or potential victims subsequent actions relating to the incident, such as • When and where the incident occurred the individual’s behavior after the intervention is put • What happened before the incident into place, should be recorded in a tracking system for • The specific language of the threat use by the DAR and the threat assessment team. Such • Physical conduct that would indicate plans to follow systems range from simple card files to commercially through on the threat available relational databases. The tracking system, as • How the threat-maker appeared (physically and well as all investigative files, should be kept secure and emotionally) maintained separately from other records. If a situation • The names of others who were directly involved and is concerning, consult with someone who specializes in any actions they took violence risk assessments. • How the incident ended

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5. Ensure cooperation between law enforcement and 8. Consider the costs and benefits of providing school authorities in collecting and preserving evi- increased protection to threatened persons. Possible dence of threats. ac tions include transferring potential victims to 6. If a situation is concerning, consult with someone another school or pro viding them with additional who specializes in violence risk assessments. Identify ways to signal distress, such as cell phones or that specialist now, before you need his or her emergency transmitters. services. 9. Determine what additional security measures, 7. Evaluate situations when a threat has been made if any, should be put in place after a threat. and, if warranted, notify the potential victims. Changes might include requesting additional Some threat assessment suggestions de veloped police patrols, hiring security guards, locking by the U.S. Secret Service appear in the text box doors (in compliance with fire regulations), and below. adding video monitors.

U.S. Secret Service Threat Assessment Suggestions may have collected information about their School and law enforcement officials are frequently intended targets and the setting of the attack as placed in the difficult position of having to assess specific well as information about similar attacks that have people (students, staff, teachers, and others) who may previously occurred. be likely to engage in targeted violence in which there is a known or knowable target or potential assailant. Once individuals who may pose a threat have been The following suggestions for threat assessment identified, 10 key questions should guide the assessment investigations are based on guidelines developed by the of the threat: U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center 1. What motivated the individual to make the (NTAC). They were developed primarily for preventing statement or take the action that caused him or her the assassination of public officials, so they may not be to come to attention? applicable to all school situations. 2. What has the individual communicated to anyone concerning his or her intentions? To identify threats, school officials are advised to take 3. Has the individual shown an interest in targeted the following steps: violence, perpetrators of targeted violence, 1. Focus on individuals’ thinking and behavior as weapons, extremist groups, or murder? indicators of their progress on a pathway to violent 4. Has the individual engaged in attack-related actions. Avoid profiling or basing assumptions behavior, including any menacing, harassing, or on socio-psychological characteristics. In reality, stalking-type behavior? accurate profiles for those likely to commit acts of 5. Does the individual have a history of mental illness targeted violence do not exist. School shootings are involving command hallucinations, delusional infrequent and most people who happen to match ideas, feelings of persecution, and so on, with a particular profile do not commit violent acts. In indications that the individual has acted on those addition, many individuals who commit violent acts beliefs? do not match profiles. 6. How organized is the individual? Is he or she 2. Focus on individuals who pose a threat, not only capable of developing and carrying out a plan? on those who explicitly communicate a threat. 7. Has the individual experienced a recent loss Many individuals who make direct threats do or loss of status, and has this led to feelings of not pose an actual risk, while many people who desperation and despair? ultimately commit acts of targeted violence 8. Corroboration: What is the individual saying, and is never communicate threats to their targets. it consistent with his or her actions? Before making an attack, potential aggressors 9. Is there concern among those who know the may provide evidence they have engaged in individual that he or she might take action based thinking, planning, and logistical preparations. on inappropriate ideas? They may communicate their intentions to family, 10. What factors in the individual’s life and environment friends, or colleagues, or write about their plans might increase or decrease the likelihood of the in a diary or journal. They may have engaged in individual attempting to attack a target? attack-related behaviors: deciding on a victim or set of victims, determining a time and approach Source: R. Fein and B. Vossekuil, National Threat to attack, and selecting a means of attack. They Assessment Center, U.S. Secret Service.

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10. Counsel potential victims about the various civil 11. Learn what procedures should be taken to screen and criminal op tions available to them, such mail and packages left on school sites after a threat as obtaining a restraining order. The potential has been made. Contact the U.S. Postal Service, reactions of the offender should be considered the local police, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, in whether or not to seek a restraining order. Firearms, and Explosives for guidance. Additional security precautions should be taken if 12. Establish policies for releasing any threat-related the offender is likely to respond negatively to the information to either the school community or intervention chosen, especially during the period the media, giving consideration to the potential immediately following the initial application of that consequences of choosing whether or not to intervention. disseminate information pertaining to serious threats.

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3. Have a working knowledge of all available and se c t I o n 4 needed resources for handling and responding crIsIs Pl a n n I n g a n d to a crisis situation. During planning, use school personnel to determine re sources available in the Pr e P a r a t I o n building and in the district. Use emergency response personnel from the community to help determine Responses for different types of crises should be planned in availability of resources in the community. advance and reviewed, updated, and practiced periodically. 4. Include off site school activities such as stadium The chaos and panic created by these situations cannot be events, field trips, and so on, in crisis planning. effectively handled without a plan of action. 5. Assign all faculty and staff to clearly defined roles under the ICS system. Critical assignments must be Teachers and staff play critical roles in implementing staffed three deep to ensure coverage at all times. planned responses both before and after emergency 6. Identify and make ar rangements now with the response personnel arrive. Therefore, their participation mental health professionals who would provide the in, and understanding of, the planning is essential. critical incident stress debriefing immediately after a crisis. Be sure that mental health professionals are The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, trained in crisis response and trauma issues so that and Staff they do not unintentionally cause more emotional harm. See the text box on page 26. Planning 7. Identify and train on-site building maintenance staff 1. Establish a crisis planning team that includes (primary and backup) and off site personnel who will representation from faculty and staff, as well as take responsibility for dealing with fire alarms, sprinkler safety, security, and emergency response providers systems, gas, and so on. These personnel should who are knowledgeable about crisis planning or immediately be available at the command post. would help intervene in a school safety crisis. The 8. Identify personnel who will have master keys, codes, primary duty of these teams is to develop and and access to secured areas at the site. periodically refine crisis management plans. 9. Classrooms should have locks that can be locked 2. Establish school crisis management teams at district from the inside in the case of a crisis that requires and site levels using the nationally recognized students to lock down rather than evacuate. In an Incident Command System (ICS). The ICS provides active shooting scenario, locked doors can save a comprehensive organizational structure, role as- lives. signment, and decision-making pro cess to prepare 10. Establish and publicize the chain of command so for and respond to all types of crises. Schools should that if the appointed crisis director as specified in get in touch with emergency management agencies the ICS is unavailable, the next designated crisis (such as fire departments) for information about ICS. management team member will take charge.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing it was handled. It also gives the debriefing team a After a serious act of violence in the schools, employees, chance to educate employees about the symptoms counselors, students, police and other emergency of posttraumatic stress disorder and to identify responders, witnesses, and the families of each often individuals who might need further counseling. suffer from stress-related ailments such as insomnia, depression, anger, headaches, and ulcers. These Depending on their developmental level, children have conditions translate into higher rates of absenteeism and different coping skills for dealing with traumatic events turnover, as well as lower school and job performance. and memories of them. Counseling interventions for Much of this suffering and loss can be reduced if the younger children often require involvement and use affected individuals receive debriefings from experienced of nonverbal material and very directive ways to elicit counselors 24 to 72 hours after the traumatic incident. and reflect feelings. Frequently, facts and fantasy are intermingled, and young children have a difficult time The purpose of such a debriefing is to provide acknowledging a crisis. With adolescents, however, a students, school employees, and others affected discussion format can be used as a possible means to by the event with the opportunity to express their activate and enhance their problem-solving and crisis- thoughts and feelings about what happened and how coping skills.

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11. Establish and practice how to pro tect students with 21. Provide copies of all emergency and evacuation physical, cognitive, or devel opmental disabilities. plans to local law en forcement, fire, and other 12. Prepare a dismissal plan in the event students need emergency response agencies. to be sent home early. Establish procedures for no- 22. Provide law enforcement, fire, and other emergency tifying parents and/or guardians and me dia. Make response personnel with blueprints, layouts and floor arrangements for trans portation of special needs plans of school buildings and grounds, including students. information about main leads for water, gas, electricity, 13. Establish and practice lockdown and evacuation cable, telephone, HVAC, alarm and sprinkler systems, procedures, includ ing where students should go and locations of hazardous materials, elevators, and during different types of crises. Consider various entrances. These should be reviewed annually and adverse weather conditions and ways to transport in clude both officials’ and students’ names for each evacuees. Deter mine specific locations of safe ha- location on the property. Schedule walkthroughs by vens where students could gather a safe distance emergency responders, including city public works away from the school in the event of an evacuation. personnel. Consider color coding interiors of buildings 14. Publicize locations to students, par ents, school and numbering doors to assist responders. teachers and staff, crisis team members, and emer- 23. Consider creating a system of Knox-Boxes® outside gency response personnel. school buildings. Knox-Boxes® are storage devices 15. Develop an emergency traffic plan capable of that provide staff and emergency re sponse personnel protecting emergency response routes and with access to keys at any time of the day or night. accommodating the likely traffic and parking needs of parents and/or guardians and media. Planning for Donations and Memorials 16. Designate places, depending on the nature of the 1. Establish a school policy for memo rializing crisis, for person nel to perform their roles. Places in- students and other school personnel. For types clude the following: of considerations, see “Memorials, Funerals, and a. A designated media contact loca tion Anniversaries” in section 6. b. A designated place for par ents and/or guardians 2. Designate responsibility for coordi nating receipt to congregate and distribution of donations in the event of a c. A designated place for clergy crisis. Ensure proper accountability and receipt d. A designated place for mental health of funds and materials, and so on. Des ignate professionals types of donations (such as clothes and money). e. Staging areas for transportation Consider using the United Way or another chari table 17. Establish a calling tree or phone tree that allows organization already in place. the crisis man agement team to be notified imme- 3. Identify how media and community members will be diately. Post calling tree lists in strategic locations, informed of where donations should be sent. such as the offices of superin tendents, principals, 4. Establish priorities and policies for distributing assistant principals, nurses, counselors, custodians, monetary donations. crisis team representa tives, and school departments 5. Prepare in advance a link for dona tions on the of fices as well as at the local police de partment, the school’s Web site. school district office, and other designated off-site locations. 18. Make alternative response plans known to key Training personnel who would communicate the nature of 1. Test crisis management plans with faculty and staff, and the cri sis and the appropriate level of re sponse. if appropriate with selected students, at the begin- Information about some as pects of response plans ning of each school year and during in-service days may need to be restricted as a security measure. throughout the year. Law enforcement and emergency 19. Create crisis and evacuation kits and place them at service agencies in the community should be included. strategic loca tions inside and outside schools. For 2. Coordinate and regularly hold sce nario-based a list of items to include in crisis kits and types of training sessions that bring together law places to locate them, refer to the text box on page enforcement, other emergency response person nel, 22. teachers, and other school staff. 20. Consider using digital technology and computer 3. Train teachers and staff on the types of information databases to store photographs and demographic that emergency re sponse personnel will need in formation that would enable easy and accurate when they re spond to different types of crises, such identification of stu dents, teachers, and staff. Always as when the event occurred, where it happened, have hard copy versions in the event computers are how many are involved, and whether lockdown or inaccessible. evacuation has occurred.

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Crisis and Evacuation Kits • Caution tape The following items should be gathered together and • Copies of student records, especially health and located at strategic locations inside and outside of schools. identification Common locations include principals’ offices, local fire • Attendance rosters and police departments, police car trunks, and specially • Bus rosters and routes designated places in schools. Information in the crisis kits • Emergency response telephone numbers should be updated periodically as appropriate. • Student, teacher, and staff home phone numbers and emergency contacts • Name tags • Telephone directory for school system • Notebooks • List of teachers with cell phones and their cell phone • Pens and markers numbers • Handheld radios • Current yearbook, class photos, student IDs, or if • Batteries available, CD-ROM photo databases. • First aid supplies • Schedules of students, teachers, and staff available • Tape • School sites’ layouts, building floor plans, and aerial • Blankets maps • Megaphone • An easily readable copy of the crisis response plan • Tools • Separate placards with directional words such A laptop computer, printer, and access to a copier are as PARENTS, COUNSELORS, MEDIA, CLERGY, required for immediate use. VOLUNTEERS, KEEP OUT

4. Train teachers, staff, and students on personal designated spokespersons, where to retrieve their survival strategies for different scenarios and on children and get information about the status of what physical reactions are possible in a traumatic the crisis, and what they can do to help during and situation. Consider using local emergency response after the crisis. personnel or district-wide crisis teams to provide 13. Decide on an appropriate balance of crisis response training. information and cri sis response drills for students 5. To the extent possible, provide cross-training to that leave them feeling safe without causing undue members of the crisis management team and to fear. other school personnel. 14. Provide training in media relations for appointed 6. Review the crisis response plan with teachers, media spokespersons during the planning phase. principals, staff, volun teers, campus supervisors, and Invite media representatives to those training school resource officers. sessions to strengthen rela tionships and enhance 7. Review the crisis response plan with students. under standing of their respective needs. 8. Provide training to teachers and school staff on their 15. Provide information to local media representatives assigned roles and their backup roles during cri sis on how to receive and communicate information situations. about crises to the community. 9. Supplement verbal training with a written pamphlet 16. Teach students, teachers, and staff to recognize the to remind stu dents and full-time, part-time, intern, physiological cues experienced in crisis situations. and substitute teachers of their specified roles. Re hearse constructive skills and be haviors instead of 10. Provide ongoing training to staff; volunteers; full- relying on impul sive actions during crisis situations. time, part-time, intern, and substi tute teachers; 17. Provide emergency first-aid training to teachers, and other persons who are regularly on campus staff, and students. re garding how to respond to different types of crisis 18. Provide staff, teachers, and students with instructions scenarios. on personal safety awareness and survival skills, 11. Develop written summaries of crisis response on how to report and respond to per sons making instructions to be dissemi nated to new substitutes threats or displaying weapons, and about locating along with their specific classroom materials. and not giving up safe positions. 12. Provide information to parents and/or guardians 19. Incorporate crisis preparation training and on their roles during cri sis situations. Also tell requirements into teacher education programs at them where they should go to meet with the colleges and universities.

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The Role of Law Enforcement and Emergency or school personnel, instead of from offenders. Response Personnel Consider the possibility that the offenders could be students, faculty, or staff when designing and 1. Conduct meetings with representa tives from communicating details about those systems to the school community and from all local law school personnel. enforcement, fire, and other emergency response 4. Work toward integrating disparate law enforcement agencies to obtain, develop, and coordinate school site safety plans. and emergency response communication technolo- 2. Maintain information in vehicles of first responders gies to enable more effective com munication about school sites’ layouts, building floor plans, and between agencies during crises. aerial maps. Update as needed. 5. Develop and provide training on the Incident 3. Create systems by which students, teachers, Command System, which coordinates supervision and staff hearing commands (“Open the door,” and direction of different school authorities, law for instance) may be better able to identify enforcement per sonnel, and emergency responders that they came from official law enforcement from a central command post.

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se c t I o n 5 Active Resistance u r I n g a a J o r rIsIs Active resistance is fighting back with any objects of d m c opportunity, such as chairs, desk, and books. Active resistance is a last resort and should only be used Sections 5 and 6 provide suggestions for responses if potential victims are trapped in a room with an during and after school crises in which one or more active shooter, there are already victims, and all other individuals have been victimized by violence. personal survival recommendations are no longer an option. There have been cases where active resistance The Role of School Administrators, Teachers, has been successfully used, such as a shooting in and Staff Springfield, Oregon. Immediate Response 1. At the onset of a situation, the follow ing things need Implementing the Crisis Manage ment Plan to happen as close to gether as possible. Responding Depending on the nature of the emer gency, either law per sonnel will have to use individual judgment as to enforcement or the fire department will be in charge of what they can and should do first, keeping in mind the incident. that their primary role is taking care of children at risk. 2. Get students out of harm’s way. When possible, get in touch with the appro priate school authority or 1. Secure all areas for student and staff safety until the person on the crisis management team to determine police arrive. whether evacuation or lockdown is the appropriate 2. Be aware that the site may be a potential crime re sponse. Teachers should make de cisions about scene. Avoid un necessarily tampering with or dis- lockdown or evacuation on their own only in life- turbing evidence. To the extent possible, leave all threaten ing situations, as specified in the school objects exactly as they are to protect evi dence for crisis management plan. law enforcement investi gations. Discourage others 3. Use doors that lock from the inside only in cases from disturbing potential evidence. where lockdown is the safest option. In an active 3. Tell emergency re sponders where the school staff shooter situation, only evacuate if the location of the command post is located. shooter is known and an exit is easily accessible to 4. Direct arriving families to the designated place students, such as a window that can be opened or where they can receive information. broken. 5. Do not dismiss students to un known care. 4. Assess whether anyone is injured and the severity of 6. In the case of a lockdown, have a sign-out sheet to injuries. Take appropriate measures. monitor which students have been picked up by 5. Call 9-1-1 or have someone call 9-1-1 in immediate their parents or guardians. In the case of evacuation, life-threatening situations. Then alert school have a place where parents and/or guardians go to authorities or the crisis manage ment team. sign out their children. 6. If available, activate silent alarms to notify law 7. Never speculate. Be sure to understand the enforcement. circumstances surrounding the situation before saying 7. In the event a teacher cannot call or leave the anything about it and before taking action. Follow all classroom, send stu dents for help only if absolutely rules about repeating or giving out information. necessary and if it does not put them in more danger 8. As appropriate, keep students informed about what than they would be in by evacuating or re maining is happening. Ensure that the same information with their class. is communicated to all students. If at all possible, 8. Have designated personnel (the central update students in individual classrooms, not in a administration or the crisis director) decide about large group setting. the appro priate level of involvement of the crisis 9. As soon as possible, take a head count to determine management team. which students, staff, and teachers are accounted for 9. Have appointed staff begin the calling tree before and which ones are not. phone lines get overloaded. If lines are immediately 10. To the extent possible, shield students from disturbing overloaded, then get in touch with the designated scenes. But do not disturb crime scene evidence. alternative phone service provider. 10. Remain with students until told by appropriate The Role of Students personnel what actions to take. Teachers and staff Students should understand and follow all plans who are not with children should serve in designated applicable to the given crisis situation. Students should roles and take assigned action. not panic. They should be taught the following:

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1. In the absence of adult direction, decide where it is 1. Respond to all reports of criminal activities in the safest to be and remain there. school. Rapid re sponse teams should be formed to 2. If a violent situation occurs, notify the first available help ensure immediate interven tion in all emergency adult. situations. 3. Share all relevant information with law enforcement, 2. Exercise appropriate rules of en gagement when teachers, and school staff. immediate inter vention is needed, keeping in 4. During and after the crisis, to the extent that it is mind the safety of victims, bystanders, and first safe, keep with you what is on your person, do not responders. pick anything up, and do not go back for anything 3. Establish and adhere to direction from the Incident until after re ceiving permission. Command Sys tem. 5. Help teachers and staff quickly assess who is ac- 4. Establish appropriate security and response counted for and who is not. perimeters. Provide traffic control assistance to 6. If able, help in jured persons. enable emergency services to get through to the 7. Calm and reassure fellow stu dents. school. 8. Follow school, law enforcement, or other emergency 5. Develop lines of communication with affected response per sonnel directions about where to go or schools’ administra tions and district emergency remain. opera tion centers or command posts. 9. Do not speculate or perpetuate rumors. 6. Protect relevant evidence from con tamination. 10. Do not retaliate or take unnecessary chances. Follow approved col lection procedures to facilitate ef fective prosecution of perpetrators. The Role of Law Enforcement 7. Help parents and/or guardians find their children. Law enforcement participation is necessary to develop 8. Be prepared to assist with many unforeseeable and implement well-coordinated and effective responses duties. to crisis situations.

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6. Determine the need for additional health services se c t I o n 6 and resources (such as nursing staff) to attend to af t e r a crIsIs increased physical needs of students. 7. Provide parents, staff, and students with information on their rights with the media, as most people are The actions taken after severe acts of violence can have a not aware of what they can and cannot do when major effect on the well-being of students and the community approached by the media. See the text box on page at large. It is difficult to respond in a timely and appropriate 20. way without having an established, detailed plan. 8. Hold meetings to provide staff with information related to the crisis, eliminate rumors, advise them The Role of School Administrators of next steps, and advise them on what to tell their Support Systems students. 1. Implement plans for providing qualified counselors, 9. Arrange now to contract with an outside agency especially for providing critical incident stress that would take care of the physical cleanup after debriefing (see the text box on page 32). Students, a violent incident. Do not leave the cleanup to faculty, and staff may require both short-term and school district employees. Be sure that all evidence long-term counseling. of violence is removed before allowing teachers, 2. When providing information and counseling, take students, and staff back in. into account multi lingual needs. 10. Develop written statements for teachers to read in 3. Use only mental health professionals trained class. Send simi lar statements to parents. or experienced in crisis response and trauma 11. Help students, faculty, and staff address their own interventions. reactions. Whenever possible, help teachers and 4. Maintain both an information line and special call-in staff address their reactions first, before they interact line for victims and their families whenever large with their students. groups of students are affected. 12. Hold a special meeting with victims and their siblings. 5. Keep in close contact with injured victims and 13. Ensure that each school in the district supports surviving family members. siblings of victims by providing them with

Critical Incident Psychological Intervention be reactivated. The defusing involves assisting the responder with the reactions they may experience once they leave the scene. It also involves providing them After a serious act of violence in the schools, with specific coping skills. employees, counselors, students, police and other emergency responders, witnesses, and the families of each often suffer from stress-related ailments such The most common intervention for responders consists as insomnia, depression, anger, headaches, and of the psychological debriefing. The purpose of such ulcers. These conditions translate into higher rates of a debriefing is to provide students, school employees, absenteeism and turnover as well as lower school and and others affected by the event with the opportunity job performance. to express their thoughts and feelings about what happened and how it was handled. It also gives the In order to prevent a significant trauma reaction, debriefing team a chance to educate employees about psychological interventions are recommended. Some the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and to of the successful interventions have consisted of the identify individuals who might need further counseling. following: • The provision of psychological first aid Depending on their developmental level, children have • Defusings different coping skills for dealing with traumatic events • Debriefings and memories of them. Counseling interventions for younger children often require involvement and use Psychological first aid is best provided as soon as of nonverbal material or very directive ways to elicit possible and is beneficial for both responders and and reflect feelings. Frequently, facts and fantasy are victims. It focuses on assisting with basic needs. intermingled, and young children have a difficult time acknowledging a crisis. With adolescents, however, a Defusings are short-term interventions for responders discussion format can be used as a way to activate and who are finished with their shift but may need to enhance their problem-solving and crisis-coping skills.

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additional reassurances of safety and academic the school site where school violence took place support as appropriate. should be handled when students return to school. 14. Provide places and times for members of peer groups to meet and counsel each other. Memorials, Funerals, and Incident Anniversaries 15. Designate space for safe rooms where at any time 1. Allow excused absences and time off for all students, students, teachers, and staff can receive comfort and teachers, and staff who wish to attend funerals and counseling and talk about events during the crisis. memorials. 16. Provide information to parents and/or guardians who 2. Allow for and cooperate with families who are want to know how to help their children cope with planning memorials and activities to honor victims. feelings about the crisis. 3. Arrange to have a quiet area for staff and students 17. Hold special workshops where students who feel who do not wish to attend memorials and activities. angry about the crisis can express their feelings. 4. If possible, avoid conducting funerals at the school. 18. Keep parents and/or guardians informed of the 5. Assess the appropriateness of cre ating memorials support services being made available to their to victims on school premises, particularly in children. the case of religious memorials. If establishing 19. Provide a place after the crisis where parents and/or memorials on site would not be appropriate, guardians can meet with counselors and other adults identify alternative sites, and consider living to discuss ways to help their children transition back memorials such as trees. into school. 6. Include students, families of victims, and community 20. Provide a list of suggested readings to teachers, members in plan ning for memorials. parents, and students. 7. Establish a policy for how school ad ministration 21. Only after persons who have been directly affected should handle student or community members’ by the crisis have received needed attention, independ ently establishing memorials. evaluate whether community forums should be 8. Assess whether families want rec ognition of victims initiated for people to air their concerns about the at graduation ceremonies, at assemblies, in year- tragedy or other issues pertaining to school safety. books, and on anniversaries of the crisis. Particularly 22. Fund additional time for teachers to work with at graduations, chairs for those students could be students who need addi tional academic support left empty and their names read. because of such problems as grief, stress, difficulty 9. Invite family members of victims to all ceremonies concentrating, and anxiety. and memorials. 23. Hire a volunteer coordinator to en sure the 10. Plan ahead for the attention the school will receive meaningful participation of parents and/or guardians on the one-year anniversary of the incident. and community members in a way that does not use 11. Plan ahead for the emotional needs of the school additional administrative time. community on anniver saries. 24. Provide for the orientation of fami lies who enroll 12. Consider the special needs of fami lies of offenders. their children in schools where violent events have 13. Ensure someone is at the home of the deceased occurred. Include younger students who graduate victims and perpetra tors during funerals and memo- into these schools and students who transfer from rial services to prevent theft, vandalism, and so on. other schools. Closure of Mourning Period and Moving Forward Managing the School Environment after Violence 1. Consult with counselors, teachers, students, and staff 1. Maintain close cooperation with investigating on when would be the most appropriate time to sig- authorities to facilitate completing investigations and nal closure of the mourning period. mini mizing complications. 2. Conduct a public ceremony to sym bolize closure of 2. Deal with problems of deceased stu dents’ desks and the mourning pe riod, and control media access to it. lockers. Have a counselor or other qualified adult 3. Hold a parents’ night to bring clo sure to the crisis. provide therapy while sitting at an empty assigned 4. Get school in session and moving forward as soon as desk, bus seat, or locker. In the case of an empty possible. desk, one strategy is to move the desk, over time, to the back of the row and all other desks forward; then Lessons Learned even tually remove the desk. 1. Conduct meetings with school site and district 3. When appropriate, remove deceased students’ names personnel to review les sons learned from the from forms, posters, rosters, absence reporting logs, experience. and anywhere else they occur in reporting systems. 2. Reevaluate the adequacy of crisis and safety 4. In collaboration with families of vic tims and the planning based on les sons learned, and make school community, evaluate how affected areas in modifica tions as necessary.

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3. Write thank-you notes to out-of -building district and 8. Provide and recommend counseling for the crisis community re source people who provided (or are team and emergency re sponse personnel. still providing) support during the crisis. 9. Keep records of affected students and provide follow-up services. The Role of Teachers and Staff 10. Accept other responsibilities as designated by the 1. Cooperate with law enforcement to maximize crisis manage ment team director. investigative effectiveness. 2. Help victims and other students re enter the school The Role of Parents and/or Guardians environment. Classmates of victims may need help in 1. Learn to recognize and help children with their knowing how to act. reactions. Common reac tions include unrealistic 3. Provide accurate information to stu dents and dispel fears of the future, insomnia, physical illness, and rumors. becoming easily distracted. 4. Provide activities to reduce stress and trauma, such 2. Encourage children to receive coun seling or as artwork, mu sic, and writing. to speak to a trusted adult about their feelings 5. Alter curricula and postpone testing as needed. surrounding the incident. 6. Ensure that librarians have books avail able that deal 3. Consider attending school as needed with children with managing grief and other reactions to crisis who are very fearful of returning to their classes. situa tions. 4. Obtain counseling as needed in or der to be able to 7. Train teachers to be aware of warning signs of grief remain physically and emotionally healthy and be and depres sion. available for one’s children. 8. Train teachers to implement tech niques to handle the range of students’ emotions related to crisis The Role of the Community situations. 1. Volunteer time and resources to vic tims. 9. Have class discussions about the incident and how 2. Provide services to meet the needs of victims. to cope with the aftermath. 3. Provide a central location where other members of 10. Be careful of the use of TV broad casts in the the community can go to receive information about classroom. Live news casts can be traumatizing. the types of assistance needed and available. 11. Lower classroom and school flags to half-staff. 12. Discuss funeral procedures when appropriate. 13. Volunteer to help victims and their families. The Role of Law Enforcement 14. Organize and participate in memorials and other 1. After a crisis, conduct a thorough investigation, activities. including a debriefing of all persons present at the 15. Seek counseling for help in dealing with personal time of the incident. feelings about the in cident. 2. Encourage the development and use of regional critical incident stress debriefing teams for involved emer gency personnel. (See the text box on page 20 The Role of School Counselors, Psychologists, and for more information). Social Workers 3. Coordinate with affected schools and other agencies 1. Stay in close contact with the coun seling director of to help victims’ families find survivors. the crisis man agement team. 4. Encourage schools to support their employees and 2. Be available by canceling other activities. students in the prosecution of people who commit 3. Obtain the schedule of any seriously injured or acts of violent crime. deceased students and visit their classes. Also visit 5. Encourage law enforcement and schools to classes attended by their close friends. coordinate their news re leases. 4. Organize and provide individual and group 6. Provide schools with a central point of contact in the counseling as needed to students, teachers, and police department who will answer questions and staff. ad dress concerns. 5. Contact parents and/or guardians of af fected 7. Encourage students and school em ployees to students with suggestions for counseling support participate in aftermath debriefings. and referrals. 8. Facilitate meetings in which teachers, staff, students, 6. Locate counseling assistance throughout the and parents and/or guardians can express their community, including counselors from other nearby thoughts on how police handled the incident. schools. 9. Undertake and coordinate critique of the department’s 7. Establish a self-referral procedure. Make referral response after a serious incident of school violence. forms available. Identify areas in need of improvement.

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Negligent Responses to Threats se c t I o n 7 In some instances, liability may be premised on negligent le g a l co n s I d e r a t I o n s responses to threats and acts of violence falling within the school’s jurisdiction and sphere of duty. School officials should do the following: The liability, rights, and responsibilities of school personnel in maintaining a safe school environment are affected by 1. Provide reasonable supervision for students, a variety of local, state, and federal statutes, regulations, especially in specific areas where prior threats or constitutional requirements, and judicial decisions. School instances of violence have occurred. policies also may play a key role in establishing liability and 2. Take swift and consistent action when addressing affecting the responsibilities of school per sonnel. Schools personnel or stu dents who threaten or engage in seeking to avoid liability for acts related to school violence, violent actions. including the steps taken to prevent it, should become 3. Exercise due caution when placing potentially or familiar with the legal requirements. The following pages known violent indi viduals in school populations, offer a foundation to begin a legal audit of schools’ policies consistent with applicable law. and practices for reducing school violence. 4. Determine when they have a duty to warn students, faculty, or other per sonnel about a potential The following list of legal considerations is not danger, in cluding providing any (and only) legally comprehensive. Before acting on any of these issues, authorized and appropriate information about the consult with legal counsel. violent propensities of individuals to the appropriate personnel. Liability of Schools When Students Are Harmed 5. Determine the applicable mandatory reporting Failure to Adhere to Law or Policy requirements concerning a threat or legal action. In some instances, liability may be premised on failure to adhere to current local, state, and federal school safety Liability of Schools for Wrongful Accusations and laws and regulations on school district safety policy. Discharge School officials should do the following: School personnel must respond to threats of violence in a way that protects suspected individuals from defamation 1. Ensure compliance with all current applicable local, of character and other tortuous liability if suspicions about state, and federal statutes addressing safety and them are mistaken. Liability can be minimized by conducting harassment issues. prompt investigations of all allegations and by notifying only 2. Ensure that school districts’ safety and harassment those individuals with a need to know about them. Such policies are fully implemented. actions, however, must be balanced by the need to protect 3. Ensure compliance with the school’s safety and students and staff whenever there are threats of serious harassment policy. violence. School officials should do the following: 4. Evaluate any existing school campus access policy to determine its adequacy and ensure that it is being 1. Conduct thorough investigations of complaints followed. before removing sus pected individuals from 5. Train school employees on these issues. the school, if there is sufficient time. Removal of employees or students must be con sistent with Failure to Use Reasonable Care in Selecting Personnel applicable laws. It may be appropriate to remove individuals from school without expulsion or In some instances, liability may be premised on failing termination pending their investigations. If students to use reasonable care in screening, hiring, training, or employees are wrongfully terminated or expelled, supervising, and retaining personnel who are regularly school officials may be subjected to wrongful on site and who commit acts of violence. School officials termination or expulsion suits. should do the following: 2. Respect the privacy rights and con fidentiality rights of all individuals during investigations. 1. Implement appropriate screening and hiring standards to minimize the likelihood of hiring personnel with propensities toward violence, Liability of Schools for Violating Students’ Rights consistent with applicable law. Reasonable Searches and Seizures 2. Ensure proper training of teachers and school staff in Develop and apply policies for conducting searches and the recognition of warning signs for violent behavior, seizures of stu dent property consistent with the Fourth on steps to take to minimize violence, and on Amendment to the Constitution and applicable state and appropriate responses if violence occurs. local statutes.

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1. Seek the advice of an attorney be fore implementing 3. Before suspending or expelling a student, school any policy on the search or seizure of students’ officials should pro vide the student due process property. rights as required by state and federal law. These 2. While a warrant may not be re quired, school officials rights include the following: must justify any search or seizure based on the a. Provision of a written and spe cific statement of following: the charges that justify suspension or ex pulsion. a. Reasonable suspicion that the law or a school b. Opportunity for a full hearing after adequate rule has been violated. notification. b. Information, facts, or circum stances that would c. Use of impartial adjudicators. lead a rea sonable person to conclude that d. Opportunity for students and his or her parents evidence of a crime or rule vio lation would be or guardians to examine evidence against the found in the search. student. c. The relationship between the ex tensiveness of e. Opportunity for students and his or her parents the search and the evidence being sought. or guardians to present evidence favorable to d. The relationship between the se verity of the the stu dent. threat and the de gree of intrusiveness in con- f. Opportunity to be represented by counsel. ducting the search. g. Opportunity to confront and ex amine witnesses. e. The presence of any special legal considerations, 4. Ensure that expulsion hearings are fully and formally such as whether the student did not have a recorded. rea sonable expectation of privacy; the objects 5. Ensure that adjudicators’ decisions in hearings are seized fell within the plain view of an official who based on a full and fair review of the evidence. had a right to be at that location; the person who seized the object was not affiliated with, Use of Dress Codes and Uniforms or directed to do so by, the government; or the As required by law, accommodate stu dents whose student voluntarily consented to the search. religious beliefs would be compromised by their 3. Take into consideration the legal liability related to any compliance with school dress code provisions. type of non-consensual search of students or students’ property, including but not limited to the following: • Locker searches Rights to Privacy in Matters of Record Keeping and • Vehicle searches Information Sharing between Agencies • Use of metal detectors The Family Educational Rights and Pri vacy Act (FERPA) • Use of drug- or weapon-sniffing dogs protects the confidentiality of all student records • Drug testing information. Ensure compliance also with applicable laws • Body searches pertaining to divulging information about peer court or • Use of cameras formal juvenile court proceedings with the school and • Police-assisted searches community or service providers. Issues may include the • Searches of abandoned articles following: • Book bag, purse, and backpack searches • Searches of outer clothing • Whether or not peer or juvenile court hearings should • Strip searches be open to the pub lic • Release or publication of juveniles’ names • Release or publication of juveniles’ pictures Student Suspension and Expulsion for Violent Actions • Confidentiality of peer or juvenile court records and Threats • Admissibility of student records Students are entitled to due process before being • Prohibition of sealing or expunging records suspended or expelled. Usually, more due process rights • Parental access to children’s records are required for expulsion than suspension. • Parental consent for release of in formation in children’s records 1. Ensure that the process established by schools and the standards used for suspending or expelling In many school-shooting cases, FERPA has been cited students are consistent with applicable local, state, as a reason that the school did not disclose information and federal laws and applied consistently. regarding a student of concern. Government reports 2. Ensure that the nature and adequacy of public on school shootings have also cited widespread education alternatives for those either suspended or misunderstanding of FERPA as impeding open expelled from their usual public school pro grams are communication between school staff, school officials, consistent with applicable laws. and outside professionals. School staff and officials

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FERPA FAQ of information without consent to outside individuals What is FERPA? The Family Educational Rights and in cases of emergencies or to protect the health and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the federal law that dictates what safety of other individuals. In addition, FERPA does information school officials are allowed to disclose not prohibit school staff or officials from disclosing regarding individual students. Schools are expected to information that is obtained through personal balance the privacy of individual students with the safety knowledge or observation (see above). For example, of fellow students and staff. FERPA requires written if a teacher overhears a student making a threat, the consent before disclosing information about a student, teacher can disclose that information to appropriate except in certain situations. authorities. It is recommended that any disclosure regarding concerns about a student should be made What information is protected by FERPA? School to appropriate professionals who are trained to records and personally identifiable information are all evaluate and handle such concerns. protected under FERPA. Where can I find more information about FERPA? What information is not protected by FERPA? Brochures summarizing FERPA can be ordered at no Information obtained through a school official’s personal charge from the Department of Education’s Publications knowledge or observation, and not from the student’s Center by calling 877-433-7827. A copy of the brochure educational records, is not protected by FERPA and can can also be found at the Department of Education’s be disclosed to appropriate authorities or professionals Web site, www.ed.gov. For quick, informal responses without consent. to questions about FERPA, school officials can e-mail the Family Policy Compliance Office at [email protected]. When is it OK to disclose information about a student Additional information and guidance may be found at without parental consent? FERPA allows disclosure www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html.

need to be trained on the details of FERPA so that the in some cases even faced criminal charges for violating appropriate balance between protecting an individual gun safety laws. It is in the parents’ best interest to student’s privacy and sharing necessary information in communicate with the school if they become concerned critical situations is maintained. FERPA expressly permits about their child’s behavior. appropriate disclosures in times of actual or potential emergency and in various less drastic circumstances 1. In some instances, parents and/or guardi ans may in which an individual seeks to communicate sincere be held criminally or civilly liable for negligent concerns for a student’s well-being. When a student is at storage of a fire arm or for negligently providing risk to be harmed, FERPA allows disclosure to appropriate their children with a firearm. Sixteen states have parties if the knowledge of the information is necessary child access prevention (CAP) laws requiring gun to protect the health and safety of other individuals. owners to keep their guns locked out of reach of This would include consulting with a threat assessment children. professional. See the text box above for more information 2. In some instances, parents and/or guardi ans may be regarding FERPA. held criminally or civilly liable for failure to do the following: After the shootings at Virginia Tech, the Department of a. Adequately supervise their children. Education made brochures available summarizing when b. Take corrective action with prob lematic behavior it is justified to share information when teachers or staff displayed by their children. members become concerned about a student’s behaviors. c. Notify others about a foreseeable threat to the safety of others that their own children pose. Liability of Parents and/or Guardians Parents are the first line of action when addressing a The list of legal considerations addressed in this section is student of concern. In several school shooting cases, not comprehensive. Before acting on any of these issues, parents have been civilly sued by families of victims and consult with legal counsel.

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products as long as they do not break the law. The exercise se c t I o n 8 of those rights, however, needs to be balanced against the wo r k I n g w I t h t h e me d I a rights of parents and/or guardians and society to protect children from unnecessary harm. The recommendations in this section are intended to help better achieve that All forms of communication media (print, television, balance. Additional sets of recommendations are provided radio, computer, and film) can play an important role in text boxes to address how the media should handle in helping to prevent violence in the schools. They can violence-related crises, bomb threats, and breaking news also help limit the harm that results when violence does (see the text boxes on pages 33, 34, and 35). occur.

Unfortunately, the media can also contribute to the Recommendations for Executives in Television, problem. Exposure to excessive violence can have the Radio, Internet, Recording, Electronic Game, and following effects: Film Industries 1. Establish a code of ethics and social responsibility • It can increase the chances that at least some of those for their organization that includes guidelines on the exposed to the media will try to mimic the violent type of content it will refrain from producing or airing. acts. Copycat suicides, shootings, and bomb threats 2. Encourage their professional and trade associations sometimes follow extensive media coverage or to hold seminars pertaining to their industry’s ethical depictions of those events. and social responsibilities. • It can desensitize viewers to the horrors of violence 3. Refrain from producing and airing advertisements, and may increase their likelihood of committing lyrics, films, games, or programs likely to contribute it. Many of the same types of shooting simulation to the commission of youth violence or other exercises used by law enforcement and the military antisocial acts. to train people for situations where they may have to 4. Address the actual consequences of violence when it kill are being sold to children as video games. Some is depicted, instead of trivializing or glorifying it. of the electronic media games available to children 5. During time slots when children are likely to award extra points to players for engaging in simulated be viewing, avoid showing programs that may antisocial acts. contribute to their committing violence or other • It can exaggerate the magnitude of the real threat. antisocial acts. This could result in people fearing for their own or 6. Develop and support television programs, recordings, their children’s safety in situations where little danger is movies, and video games that promote positive social actually present. interactions and values for children of all ages. 7. Promote, use, display, and enforce rating systems Rights and Obligations of the Media that help parents and/or guardians select media Journalists have the right and the obligation to gather appropriate for their children. and report school-violence information that is of interest 8. Support efforts to make sure that media rating or importance to the public. Creators and producers of systems address mes sages conveyed and the choice all forms of media have the right to make and sell their of words and images pre sented.

Your Rights with the Media • The right to refrain from answering any questions The school community has certain rights when dealing with which the interviewee is uncomfortable or feels with the media. While they may not all be granted, they is inappropriate should be requested to protect the school and victims. • The right to ask to review quotations in a story before • The right to grieve and recover in private publication • The right to say no to an interview • The right to demand retraction when inaccurate • The right to request a specific reporter information is reported • The right to refuse an interview with a specific • The right to ask that offensive photographs or visuals reporter even if the interviewee has granted be omitted from airing or publication interviews to other reporters • The right to avoid a press conference atmosphere Source: Adapted from C. Slover and D. Tasci, Trauma and speak only to one reporter at a time Recovery Handbook (Nicoletti-Flater Associates, 1999).

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9. Support efforts to make V-chip technology a 10. Initiate antiviolence programs. For example, MTV successful way for par ents and/or guardians to help and the American Psychological Association joined prevent their children from being exposed to inap- forces to cre ate “Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand propriate violence. against Violence.”

Guidelines for Breaking News Events information in a breaking news event. If you are The Radio-Television News Directors Association not sure about the authenticity of the caller, get suggests the following standards be applied to covering the information, return telephone number, and ask breaking news events: questions that could help verify the telephone caller’s proximity to the breaking news. Find someone in the • Determine your criteria for running special reports, newsroom that can further research the validity of including news crawls. Stations should make decisions the telephone call. If you decide to go live with a call, based on journalistic merit, what community action remind the caller not to use names of individuals on may be required, and in the interest of public safety. the air and not to implicate anyone as a suspect or What is the standard for interrupting programming? victim during the course of the conversation. Does it change from one time period to another? Once you interrupt programming, how can you avoid Aside from the details of coverage, stations should think speculation and repetition during the early moments about the operational decisions necessary to ensure when details are likely to be few and sketchy? information reaches the audience in a rapid and useful • Determine how your coverage can inform and alert fashion. These organizational guidelines can help meet the public without causing panic or unnecessary that goal: alarm. Be factual and resist speculation. Television stations should remember that FCC rules require that • Create a breaking news plan in advance. Be you caption emergency information. Have you created prepared by creating contingencies for disasters. a system for quickly serving hearing-impaired viewers Make the plans as thorough as possible and with vital information they may not be able to hear? involve all departments when creating the plans. • News managers should carefully consider that Communicate your plans in writing to all those who broadcasting select information could potentially would play a role in your coverage. cause harm. For example, if a SWAT team member is • Does your station have a safety plan for employees in a specific position during a hostage situation, do covering events where they might be exposed to you have procedures to avoid putting him/her at risk hazards such as toxic waste releases? What can you do while broadcasting live? to minimize potential dangers to your employees who • FCC regulations prohibit information transmitted might be caught in an unsafe situation such as police on emergency frequencies from being broadcast activity or a riot? Discuss with employees working in without independent confirmation. Is your staff aware the field the need to stay safe and avoid personal of this regulation? injury and that no story is worth risking one’s life. • Journalists should avoid presenting the names of • Standards for breaking news coverage should apply victims of injury or death until relatives have been to all types of distribution including but not limited properly notified. When conducting live interviews to radio, television, online, personal communications with witnesses during a major event, reporters should devices, and cell phone data. caution those being interviewed in advance not to • Citizens can provide valuable assistance by providing mention specific names of dead or injured. helpful information to news organizations. But news • One of the greatest challenges is providing context managers must be cautious when accepting information, during the opening moments of a breaking story. video and pictures and verify the information is correct Prepare names and contact information for experts and images are authentic. There are people who try to in a number of fields who can be placed on the air fool news organizations with bad information or fake quickly to discuss emergencies. pictures. Remember the damage that can be caused to • Anchors and reporters should remain calm. One the entire community and to your professional reputation of the great lessons from 9/11 coverage is that the if you present material that turns out later to be false. public trusted the information they received at least in part because of the reassuring manner in which the information was reported during the crisis. Source: Radio-Television News Directors Association, • When in doubt, don’t go live with a telephone www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/guidelines-for- call from someone who claims to have urgent breaking-news-events400.php.

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Planning for Media Coverage of School Violence 3. Provide in-depth coverage of the steps school Executives in the print, electronic, and broadcast news and communities can take to reduce hazards of school information media should take the following steps now: violence. Make copies of the articles and pro grams available free of charge to schools and nonprofit 1. Establish at each newsroom and station codes of organizations. conduct for report ing and broadcasting incidents like 4. Provide local coverage, public service school violence. announcements, and features that provide points 2. Encourage their professional and trade associations of contact for youth counselors, substance abuse to hold sessions on the media’s ethical responsibili- treatment, suicide prevention, and other social or ties in this area. mental health pro grams, and encourage friends

Guidelines for Covering Hostage-Taking Crises, • Give no analyses or comments on a hostage taker’s or Prison Uprisings, Terrorist Actions terrorist’s demands. As bizarre or ridiculous (or even legitimate) as such demands may be, it is important • Always assume that the hostage taker, gunman, or that negotiators take all demands seriously. terrorist has access to the reporting. • Keep news helicopters out of the area where the • Avoid describing with words or showing with still standoff is happening, as their noise can create photography and video any information that could communication problems for negotiators and their divulge the tactics or positions of SWAT team members. presence could scare a gunman to deadly action. • Fight the urge to become a player in any standoff, • Do not report information obtained from police hostage situation, or terrorist incident. Journalists should scanners. If law enforcement personnel and negotiators become personally involved only as a last resort and with are compromised in their communications, their the explicit approval of top news management and the attempts to resolve a crisis are greatly complicated. consultation of trained hostage negotiators on the scene. • Be cautious in any reporting on the medical condition • Be forthright with viewers, listeners, or readers about of hostages until after a crisis is concluded. Be why certain information is being withheld if security cautious when interviewing hostages or released reasons are involved. hostages while a crisis continues. • Seriously weigh the benefits to the public of sharing • Exercise care when interviewing family members or information and the potential harm that information friends of those involved in standoff situations. Make might cause. This is especially important in live sure the interview legitimately advances the story for reporting of an ongoing situation. the public and is not simply conducted for the shock • Strongly resist the temptation to telephone a value of the emotions conveyed or as a conduit for the gunman or hostage taker. Journalists generally interviewee to transmit messages to specific individuals. are not trained in negotiation techniques, and • Go beyond the basic story of the hostage taking or one wrong question or inappropriate word could standoff to report on the larger issues behind the jeopardize someone’s life. Furthermore, just calling story, be it the how and why of what happened, the in could tie up phone lines or otherwise complicate preparation and execution of the SWAT team, or the communication efforts of the negotiators. issues related to the incident. • Notify authorities immediately if a hostage taker or terrorist calls the newsroom. Have a plan ready for In covering a pending raid or law enforcement action, how to respond. journalists are advised to do the following: • Challenge any gut reaction to go live from the scene of a hostage crisis unless there are strong journalistic • Be careful not to compromise the secrecy of officials’ reasons for a live, on-the-scene report. Things can go planning and execution. If staking out a location wrong very quickly in a live report, endangering lives where a raid will occur or if accompanying officers, or damaging negotiations. Furthermore, ask if the reporters and photographers should demonstrate value of a live, on-the-scene report is really justifiable great caution in how they act, where they go, and compared with the harm that could occur. what clues they might inadvertently give that might • Give no information, factual or speculative, about a compromise the execution of the raid. They should hostage taker’s mental condition, state of mind, or check and double-check planning efforts. reasons for actions while a standoff is in progress. The value of such information to the audience is limited, and Source: B. Steele, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, the possibility of such characterizations exacerbating an 1999, www.poynter.org/content/content_view. already dangerous situation is quite real. asp?id=4640.

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and family to refer to those programs anyone who that might prevent an incident of school appears troubled. violence. 5. Encourage investigative reporting that identifies 7. Report on, and influence, public support for taking people or situations contributing to the risk of school needed corrective actions. violence. Examples of possible sto ries include the 8. Establish win-win partnerships with police for covering following: crises like school violence. In Boston, television stations • School administrators and local government officials have voluntarily agreed to share footage supplied who fail to take adequate protection meas ures. by media pool on-ground and helicopter cam eras in • Legislators who have taken posi tions related to certain hostage situations. This way competing camera school violence against the public interest. crews do not add to the confusion. The stations also • Individuals or businesses in their community who agreed not to air live coverage while incidents were knowingly sell weapons illegally either to children occur ring that could aid offenders, en danger deployed or to adults purchasing weapons for children. police personnel, or harm people trapped on the 6. Provide law enforcement or school officials with premises. In return, police provide better locations for timely information ac quired from media contacts media pool cameras and more frequent updates.

Guidelines for Journalists and Reporters and graphics. The tone of what you report should not Covering Bomb Threat Stories contradict the careful reporting of facts you include in your stories. Think carefully before going live in covering • Ask: what is my journalistic duty in reporting this story? these stories. You have less editorial control in live What do our viewers need to know? What is the threat situations. The emphasis on live may warp the attention to life or property? What are the consequences of the these stories deserve. A lead story carries different event itself? How significant is the evacuation and the weight from a story that is deeper in the newscast. How interruption to normal life in your community? What can you justify the positioning of your coverage? is the impact this event has on law enforcement or • Cover the process more than the events. What emergency crews ability to respond to other calls? thought are you giving to the bigger issues involved What else is this story about? What is the story behind in this story? How easy is it for schools, the phone the story? (In some cases, racial slurs and threats have company or law enforcement to track down a been sprayed on school walls.) threatening caller? How seriously are violators • What are the possible consequences of my actions treated? Have you ever followed one of these cases and decisions? Reporting a false threat could lead to through the legal system to find out what happens? copycat threats. Reporting arrests might discourage How many bomb threats did police handle last such threats by showing the consequences for year? How many resulted in prosecution? How many threatening others. Other consequences might of those prosecuted went to jail or were actually include raising the public’s level of insecurity even punished? What was the extent of the punishment? when it is not warranted. Repeated broadcasting of Do your schools have caller ID systems in place? Do bomb hoaxes can have the effect of crying wolf with they or should they record incoming phone calls? the public becoming less responsive when actual • Minimize harm. We sometimes cause harm in the danger arises. But the reporting on the volume process of performing our journalistic duty, but it and range of threats could inform our viewers and should only be harm we can justify. Special care listeners about the pressures our police and schools should be given when covering juveniles. You should officials are under. It could be important for the carefully consider whether placing a prank phone call public to understand why officials react as they do. warrants naming a juvenile. What harm do we cause • How could you justify your decisions about where by sending a news photographer to a school that has and how you play stories about bomb threats been threatened by a caller? in your newscasts? How do you explain your • Thoughtful stations hold these conversations about decisions to your staff and to your viewers? How coverage before they are faced with a crisis. Front- much discussion have you had in your newsroom end decision-making that includes many voices in about your coverage? What experts or persons the conversation results in fuller and more thoughtful outside your newsroom could you contact for their coverage. perspectives about how you should treat this story? • Be careful about the tone of your coverage. Avoid words Source: Radio-Television News Directors Association, like chaos, terror, and mayhem; they are subjective www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/guidelines-for- words. Play it straight. Tone down your teases, leads, covering-bomb-threats149.php?id=149.

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During and after School Violence Crises • Telling parents and/or guardians where victim During and after incidents of school violence, individuals information can be obtained. working in the print, electronic, and broadcast news and • Letting the public know how they can help (by information media should take the following steps: donating blood, money, services, and so on). • Informing victims about the im portance and 1. Present coverage of school violence that is factual locations of grief counseling and other post- and balanced, includ ing information about its event services. prevalence compared with other crimes and whether • Informing students, parents and/or guardians, it is on the rise or the decline. teachers and staff about any alterations to school 2. Address the larger context of school violence, such schedules. as how students, schools, and communities have 6. Use designated public informa tion officers as the been affected. sole source of of ficial information about crisis inci- 3. Tell the public what steps are being taken to help dents, instead of seeking it from other personnel at people handle the crisis. crisis locations. 4. Consider the possible motivations of people who 7. Be careful not to distract law en forcement or other engage in violence in the schools and refrain from emergency re sponse personnel or impede them or rewarding those actions. For example, frequent their equipment. This includes use of the airspace displays of offender names and pic tures may convey above the location. to potential copy cat offenders that this is one way to 8. Respect the privacy rights of victims and the people quickly and easily achieve fame. De picting offenders connected to them. as victims who were out to right a wrong might 9. Offer to supply helicopters and other equipment or falsely convey that school shootings are an effective services that might aid police or other emergency way for students to redress grievances. providers. 5. Communicate helpful information to victims and 10. Promptly provide law enforcement with information concerned citizens. Ex amples include the following: acquired from media contacts that might lead to the • Helping law enforcement acquire information arrest of an offender before ei ther that person or from the public needed to identify or locate of- someone else is also harmed. fenders.

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leads national efforts to improve prevention and se c t I o n 9 mental health treatment services for all Americans. re s o u r c e s CMHS programs and activities include the Safe Schools/ Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative, www.sshs.samhsa.gov, a collaborative grant program designed to prevent Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) violence and substance abuse among youth, schools, and www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA communities. Through grants made to local education BJA is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, authorities, the SS/HS Initiative provides schools and U.S. Department of Justice, which also includes the communities across the United States with the benefit Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of of enhanced school- and community-based services to Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency strengthen healthy child development, thus reducing Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. BJA violent behavior and substance use. The initiative is has three primary components: Policy, Programs, and supported by three federal agencies—the Department of Planning. The Policy Office provides national leadership in Health and Human Services (through SAMHSA’s Center criminal justice policy, training, and technical assistance to for Mental Health Services), the Department of Education, further the administration of justice. The Programs Office and the Department of Justice. coordinates and administers all state and local grant programs and acts as BJA’s direct line of communication Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence: to states, territories, and tribal governments by providing assistance and coordinating resources. The Planning Violence in American Schools (CSPV) Office coordinates the planning, communications, and www.colorado.edu/cspv/safeschools/ budget formulation and execution; provides overall BJA- index.html wide coordination; and supports streamlining efforts. CSPV, a research program of the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice was founded in 1992 to provide informed assistance to (CECP) groups committed to understanding and preventing violence, particularly adolescent violence. To establish cecp.air.org/ more complete and valuable information to affect It is the mission of the CECP to support and promote violence-related policies, programs, and practices, CSPV a reoriented national preparedness to foster the works from a multidisciplinary platform on the subject of development and the adjustment of children with or at violence and facilitates the building of bridges between risk of developing serious emotional disturbance. To the research community and the practitioners and policy achieve that goal, the center is dedicated to a policy makers. of collaboration at federal, state, and local levels that contributes to and facilitates the production, exchange, One such program is the Safe Communities-Safe Schools and use of knowledge about effective practices. (SCSS) effort, which offers school safety research and prevention expertise by providing informational resources Resources and technical assistance in violence prevention planning • Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General and evidenced-based programming. This model provides reviews research on where, when, and how much youth a comprehensive framework for improving school safety violence occurs, what causes it, and which of today’s by creating a planning team to help understand the preventive strategies are effective. school’s climate and safety strengths and needs. The • Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention: A results of the assessments allow schools to identify Sourcebook for Community Action examines the appropriate strategies and evidenced-based programs to effectiveness of specific violence prevention practices address their needs. in four key areas: parents and families; home visiting; social and conflict resolution skills; and mentoring. This Educational Resources Information Clearinghouse publication was developed by the American Institutes for Research’s Prospect Institute. (ERIC): School Safety www.eric.ed.gov Center for Mental Health Services: School ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. ERIC offers Violence Prevention (CMHS) an online digital library of education research and mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/schoolviolence/ information. The center provides ready access to CMHS is the federal agency in the U.S. Substance Abuse education literature to support the use of educational and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that research and information to improve practice in learning,

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teaching, educational decision making, and research. school shootings, the IACP, in partnership with the ERIC provides unlimited access to more than 1.2 million National Institute of Justice (NIJ), has created a guide bibliographic records of journal articles and other to the use of 360-degree digital cameras to create education-related materials, with hundreds of new CDs that contain digital images of the interior of any records added twice weekly. school, allowing responding officers to determine best access to hostages and shooters for SWAT Resources response. • Partnerships for Safe School Training – This training, • Creating Safe and Drug-Free Schools: An Action Guide delivered in partnership with the Department of begins with action steps for schools, parents, students, Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and and community and business groups. Next it provides Prevention (OJJDP), focuses on improving school information briefs on specific issues affecting school safety: course topics include principles of school safety, safety. Other sections contain research and evaluation model school safety programs, and critical incident findings, a list of resources, and additional readings. management. This information is all designed to help school and • Developing an Anti-Bullying Program: Increasing community leaders, parents, and students develop a Safety, Reducing Violence – This Promising Practices strategy to ensure safe schools in their communities. Executive Brief is the first in a series produced in • Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe collaboration with Department of Justice, Office Schools offers research-based practices designed to of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention help school communities identify these warning signs (OJJDP). These periodic briefs deliver information early and develop prevention, intervention, and crisis to law enforcement and justice officials and response plans. The guide was based on the work address some of the gaps in contemporary juvenile of an independent panel of experts in the fields of justice policy and practices. Each brief highlights education, law enforcement, and mental health. a promising program that addresses an important • Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for juvenile justice issue. Schools and Communities is designed to assist schools • Youth Violence in America: Summit Report – These and communities in either situation. Although every final recommendations from the IACP summit on school’s needs and circumstances are different, these youth violence lay out a set of strategies to help law checklists provide general guidance that can be adapted enforcement respond to gang violence and school as appropriate to each district’s or school’s circumstances. violence and deal effectively with both youthful • Preventing Youth Hate Crime: A Manual for Schools offenders and youthful victims. and Communities is intended to help more schools and communities confront and eliminate harassing, intimidating, violent, and other hate-motivated National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) behavior among young people. It is intended to www.naag.org promote discussion, planning, immediate action, and NAAG was founded in 1907 to help attorneys general long-term responses to hate crime. fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high-quality legal services to the states International Association of Chiefs of Police and territorial jurisdictions. The association fosters interstate cooperation on legal and law enforcement (IACP) issues, conducts policy research and analysis of issues, www.theiacp.org conducts training, and facilitates communication The IACP is the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit between the states’ chief legal officers and all levels of membership organization of police executives, with over government. 22,000 members in over 100 different countries. IACP’s leadership consists of the operating chief executives of Resources international, federal, state, and local agencies of all sizes. • T ask Force on School and Campus Safety: Report and The IACP has assembled a set of materials that address Recommendations – In 1999, NAAG created a Task school violence and youth crime prevention. These Force on Youth Violence and School Safety. This resources are present on the IACP Web site so that police 2007 report updates the 1999 National Association leaders can become familiar with all of them and use of Attorneys General report with recommendations them in an effective manner. regarding the prevention of, and response to, violence in schools and on college campuses and Resources it includes specific recommendations to educators, • Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: A Public Safety administrators, law enforcement, mental health Response to Critical Incidents – In response to recent providers, and public policy makers.

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National Association of School Psychologists • Caregivers’ Guide to School Safety and Security – (NASP) This pamphlet calls parents to act to improve school safety and security, outlines four specific ways they www.nasponline.org can get involved, and provides the tools needed to NASP is the premier source of knowledge, professional get started. development, and resources, empowering school • Tip Sheets: Stopping School Violence – These tip psychologists to ensure that all children and youth attain sheets gives ideas on how parents, students, teachers, optimal learning and mental health. NASP represents law enforcement, principals, and community members school psychology and supports school psychologists to can stop school violence. enhance the learning and mental health of all children • School Safety and Security Newsletter – This resource and youth. NASP offers a myriad of school safety and for professionals and parents concerned about school crisis resources and has made these materials available safety and security includes best practices, new free of charge to the public to promote the ability of research findings, and topical articles. You can sign up children and youth to cope with traumatic or unsettling for a subscription on the NCPC Web site. events. National Criminal Justice Reference Service National Association of School Resource Officers (NCJRS) (NASRO) www.ncjrs.gov www.nasro.com/home.asp NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice NASRO is a not-for-profit organization for over and substance abuse information to support research, 9,000 school-based law enforcement officers, school policy, and program development worldwide. NCJRS administrators, and school security and safety offers a range of services and resources, balancing the professionals working as partners to protect students, information needs of the field with the technological school faculty and staff, and the schools. The school means to receive and access support. resource officer program is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, Resources parents, and the community to offer law-related • Appropriate and Effective Use of Security educational programs in the schools to reduce crime, Technologies in U.S. Schools – This guide helps school drug abuse, and violence and provide a safe school administrators and their colleagues in law enforcement environment. analyze a school’s vulnerability to violence, theft, and vandalism, and research possible technologies National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to effectively address these problems. This National www.ncpc.org Institute of Justice (NIJ) Research Report is based The National Crime Prevention Council’s (NCPC) on a seven-year study of more than 100 schools and mission is to enable people to create safer and more offers practical guidance on several aspects of security, caring communities by addressing the causes of crime including security concepts and operational issues, and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime video surveillance, weapons detection devices, entry to occur. NCPC produces tools that communities controls, and duress alarms. can use to learn crime prevention strategies, engage • Indicators of School Crime and Safety (2009) – This community members, and coordinate with local Bureau of Justice Statistics report presents data on agencies. Be Safe and Sound in School (B3S) is an crime and safety at school from the perspectives initiative of the National Crime Prevention Council of students, teachers, principals, and the general conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice population. In addition, it examines crime occurring Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. The program in school as well as on the way to and from school. seeks to raise awareness of school safety and security It also provides the most current detailed statistical issues and provide the tools and resources needed to information on the nature of crime in schools, school effectively address them. environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Resources • School Safety and Security Toolkit: A Guide for Parents, National School Safety Center (NSSC) Schools, and Communities – This toolkit provides the www.schoolsafety.us guidelines and tools needed to form a comprehensive The National School Safety Center (NSSC) serves as campaign to identify and address school safety and an advocate for safe, secure, and peaceful schools security issues. worldwide and as a catalyst for the prevention of school

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crime and violence. NSSC provides school communities • School Safety CD-ROM, Version 2.0 (2009) – This and their school safety partners with quality information, CD-ROM contains more than 60 COPS Office and resources, consultation, and training services. A variety other U.S. Department of Justice agency links and of school safety-related resources can be found the documents related to school violence and violence NSSC Web site. prevention, school safety technology, gangs, and youth disorder. It is a resource for local policy makers, school National Youth Gang Center administrators, parents, and students. • A Guide to Developing, Maintaining, and Succeeding www.iir.com/nygc/ With Your School Resource Officer Program (2005) – The proliferation of gang problems in large and small Many school resource officer (SRO) programs have cities, suburbs, and even rural areas over the last two experienced difficulty recruiting, screening, retaining, decades led to the development of a comprehensive, training, and supervising SROs. The information in coordinated response to America’s gang problem by the the report is intended to enable SRO programs— Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and jurisdictions that are thinking of starting SRO www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov. The OJJDP response involves five programs—to benefit from the experiences of major components, one of which is the implementation selected programs by adopting or adapting some of and operation of the National Youth Gang Center their approaches to establishing and maintaining a (NYGC). The center conducts assessments of the scope successful program. and characteristics of youth gang activity in the United States, develops resources and makes them available to the field, and provides training and technical assistance Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in support of community-based prevention, intervention, Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice (OJJDP) and suppression efforts. www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Prevention (OJJDP) is a component of the Office of U.S. Department of Justice (COPS) Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and www.cops.usdoj.gov accomplishes its mission by supporting states, local As a component of the Justice Department, the mission communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. (COPS) is to advance the practice of community policing The office strives to strengthen the juvenile justice as an effective strategy to improve public safety. The system’s efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders COPS Office awards grants to tribal, state, and local accountable, and provide services that address the law enforcement agencies to hire and train community needs of youth and their families. Under the leadership policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting- of its administrator and through its components, OJJDP edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and sponsors research, program, and training initiatives; test innovative policing strategies. Its online Resource develops priorities and goals and sets policies to guide Information Center offers publications, DVDs, CDs, and federal juvenile justice issues; disseminates information training materials on a wide range of law enforcement about juvenile justice issues; and awards funds to states concerns and community policing topics. to support local programming.

Resources Resources • Bomb Threats in Schools (2006) – This guide addresses • Four-One-One Bullying (2004) – This review of research the problem of bomb threats in schools, public on bullying presents statistics on the prevalence and or private, kindergarten through 12th grade. The frequency of bullying at various grade levels, the short- guide reviews the factors that increase the risk of term and long-term adverse effects of being bullied bomb threats in schools and then identifies a series and being a bully, and differences in bullying and its of questions that might assist law enforcement in effects related to gender and age. The first section analyzing their local problem. Finally, the guide reviews of this report distinguishes between normal conflict responses to the problem and what is known about and bullying, provides examples of bullying, profiles these from evaluative research and police practice. bullies and their victims, and indicates where most • Bullying in Schools (2006) – This guide provides bullying occurs. A separate section focuses on research police with information about the causes and extent related to the link between being bullied and suicide. of bullying in schools and recommendations for In offering practical guidance based on research, this developing effective approaches and practices that report advises that the role of teachers and school contribute to student safety. administrators is critical.

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• Truancy Reduction: Keeping Students in School (2001) • Training on threat assessment and targeted violence – The report describes the correlations of family, to law enforcement officials and others with protective school, economic, and student factors with truancy; and public safety responsibilities notes truancy’s role as a predictor of delinquency, • Information-sharing among agencies with protective or including juvenile daytime crime; and examines the public safety responsibilities social and financial impacts of truancy. It also discusses • Programs to promote the standardization of federal, two projects funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice state, and local threat assessment and investigations and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). involving threats • School Safety & Youth Violence: A Legal Primer (2001) – This guidebook seeks to outline the major legal issues In 2002, the Secret Service completed the Safe School faced by schools, including school liability for violence, Initiative (SSI), a study of school shootings and other search and seizure, threats of violence, zero tolerance school-based attacks. Conducted in collaboration with policies, and use of student records. The primer is not the U.S. Department of Education, the study examined intended to substitute for legal advice. school shootings in the United States from 1974 to • Refining the Construct of School Safety: An 2000, analyzing a total of 37 incidents involving 41 Exploration of Correlates and Construct Validity of student attackers. The study involved extensive review School Safety Measures (2005) – This study evaluated of police records, school records, court documents, and the internal consistency of and relationships among other source materials and interviews with 10 school four measures of school climate and safety: the shooters. The focus of the study was on developing Oregon School Safety Survey (OSSS), the Effective information about the school shooters’ behaviors and Behavior Support Survey 1.5 (EBS), the School-Wide communications before the attack. The goal was to Evaluation Tool (SET), and the Oregon School Climate identify information about school shootings that may be and Safety Survey (OSCSS). identifiable or noticeable before such shootings occur, to help inform efforts to prevent school-based attacks.

U.S. Secret Service National Threat Resources Assessment Center (NTAC) • The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School www.secretservice.gov/ntac.shtml Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School The mission of the National Threat Assessment Center Attacks in the United States (2002). (NTAC) is to provide guidance on threat assessment to • Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing the Secret Service and its law enforcement and public Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School safety partners. Through the Presidential Protection Act Climates (2002). of 2000, Congress formally authorized NTAC to provide • A Safe School and Threat Assessment Experience: assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement Scenarios Exploring the Findings of the Safe School and others with protective responsibilities in the following Initiative CD-ROM (2006). functional areas: • Prior Knowledge of Potential School-Based Violence: • Research on threat assessment and various types of Information Students Learn May Prevent a Targeted targeted violence Attack (2008).

International Association of Chiefs of Police

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