Strategies for Safe Schools

1. Strategies for Safe Schools Applying the Golden Rule “Do unto others the way you would have them do unto you” Kentucky State Police Captain Tim Hazlette

2. Strategies for Safe Schools • The need for awareness and planning • What has transformed in our society & schools • Societal shifts • Fewer supportive relationships • Unhealthy environments • Learned irresponsibility • Lack of purpose

3. Strategies for Safe Schools • “Change” • Leisure time • Family vs. television and video games • Internet • Role of media on violence

4. Need for Awareness and Planning • Fads vs. Trends • FADS = rapid popularity; end quickly; don’t really impact society • TRENDS = relatively slow onset; once here they tend to stay. They do change the basic core of society. School place violence is a TREND

5. Need for Awareness and Planning • Lessons learned from workplace violence • All perpetrators gave indications and warnings they were about to be violent • Almost all made threatening statements • The perpetrators had histories of perceived injustices, minimal social support, poor impulse control • Had generally unsuccessful personal histories

6. Experts believe this type of violence is highly predictable in its nature and course and with understanding, there are steps we can take to intervene and prevent it. • Each school community and its members will need to decide where they fall on the continuum from Pollyanna to Paranoia and respond with interventions that best fit their culture.

7. We need to talk about violence in a balanced and realistic way • Characters / Players • Perpetrators • Victims • Protectors

8. Perpetrators • Caucasian males • Rural / suburban • Made verbal threats • Brought guns from home • Triggering event (discipline – rejection) • Interest in military or weapons • Social outcast • Teased – felt victimized • Chronic anger • Interest in violence

9. Victims • Persons by choice (acquaintance / igniters) • By opportunity (wrong place at wrong time) • Protectors are; US • School personnel • Community at large • Police

10. Our Role • Recognize early signs of at-risk youth • Address or report ALL threats of violence or behavior that concern you • Contribute to a caring school climate

11. Early Warning Signs – Threat Assessment • Isolation • Social withdrawal • Feeling of rejection • Sense of Victimization • Feels picked on or persecuted • Tends to blame others / limited coping skills

12. Early Warning Signs • School issues • Declining performance – attendance • Social outcast • Anti – authority • Preoccupation with weapons / violence • Access to weapons • Escalation • Anger; hostility; threats; other behaviors of concern

13. Perpetrators usually exhibit multiple warning signs, repeated over time and with increased intensity. It is important not to over react to isolated signs. • Threats of Violence- Important Warning Sign • Should always be analyzed for credibility and seriousness, with attention to evaluating degree of risk

14. Types of Threats • Types of Threats • Direct threats = clear statement of intent to harm • Conditional threats = “If….., then….” statements • Veiled threats = students may attempt to deny or minimize these Conditional or veiled threats will tend to escalate if not confronted

15. Formula for Violence • Time= period of time for student to complete an act of violence including formulating and designing a plan; overcoming inhibitions (getting the nerve) and executing the act • Opportunity = access to weapons

16. Formula for Violence (cont’d) • Ability= level of threat increases with student’s ability to commit a violent act. Includes intelligence, creativity, experience with weaponry and organizational skills. Look for “practicing behaviors” – rehearsal may be in the form of writings, drawings, games, videos, and websites. Students will boast of their abilities

17. Formula for Violence (cont’d) • Desire = a willingness to act (to inflict injury or death) Interventions can decrease desire • Stimulus = an event or series of events that serve as an emotional trigger. Danger is greatest within a two (2) week period following the precipitating event.

18. Creating a Safe School Environment • Effective and engaging instruction • builds a child’s confidence by increasing success in the classroom • teaches reality -v- fantasy • teaches problem solving skills • Building relationships with students • listen to students • develops a “safe place” for students which allows for interventions

19. Common and Consistent Standards of Conduct • Zero tolerance for violence and threats of violence Zero tolerance = 100 % intervention by the entire school community (and police when needed) to address the continuum of unacceptable behaviors • Establish a barrier “place a tree in their path” • Let NO mean NO • Teach problem solving and coping skills. • Anonymous tip line to gather intelligence regarding potential violence in schools • Community Collaboration, Support and Education • Partnerships with law enforcement, social service agencies, businesses, and churches.

20. Prediction and Prevention; “Principles of Risk Assessment” Generally speaking, you can prevent an act of violence,however, you may never be able to predict an act of violence. • A. Elements of Threat Assessment • Student’s academic, behavioral,and social history- “past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior” • Prior history of violent behavior/exposure to violence

21. Animal mutilation • Preoccupations with weapons • Fascination with violent music, movies, videos, etc. • Social isolation, victimization, tendency to blame others • Presence of medical, neurological and psychological disorders

22. B. Threat Details • Communication of threats- calls, writings, emails, etc. • Planning- inappropriate interest in a target, (person, place) • Citing a location for act • Amount of emotion attached to threat • Presence of stalking behaviors • Situational context • Evaluate information (in context which threat occurred) • Reliance and range of information • Authenticate information

23. Corroborate information • Focus on information which is factual and corroborated • Gather information from: teacher, students/peer group, neighbors, relatives, caregivers, other pertinent sources of information • Developmental Context- Students Ability to understand and carryout the threat

24. Triggering Event: Recent family or life crisis (stressors) • Disciplinary actions (suspensions, expulsions, parent notification) • Losses: especially those invoking feelings of humiliation, worthlessness, hopelessness • Recent lost of important relationship - “breakup”

25. Prevention • Teacher and Administrators are encouraged to: • Establish crisis policies and procedures • Work with law enforcement to handle a crisis • Take reports from students-gather intelligence • Continued training/staff development in areas of violence prevention, conflict resolution, threat assessments, anger management KSP has a train the trainer model “Violent Student Management” for school trainings”

26. Four major focus areas: • Aggression and Influence on the Central Nervous System • Adolescent Escort Controls • Separating Techniques • Physical Aggression Management

27. Conduct a Security Assessment of School Facilities • Serve as a risk management and public relations tool • Physical Plant Evaluation • Building and grounds • Surveillance methods • Entrance/Exits - access to buildings • Identification of visitors • Preparedness Planning(task force work) • Preparing for all types of emergencies

28. Summary: Violence Prevention/ Intervention/Risk Assessment • Stress positive climate and relationships with students • Develop policies and procedures for threats and violence • Develop anonymous reporting methods for students with information regarding potential violence • Develop District and School Risk Assessment Teams • Train all personnel in the symptoms of violence and reporting methods/policies • Educate all students, families, and community • Develop a Zero tolerance to violence - Don’t Ignore Threats or Warning Signs----ADDRESS THEM

29. CHALLENGE • When it comes to the morality of our society we need to be and to teach our children to be: THERMOSTATS NOT THERMOMETERS • Proverbs 22:6 • Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.