Virginia Code § 23.1-805 mandates the establishment of a Violence Prevention Committee and Threat Assessment Team at institutions of higher education.
As part of a larger and Institute-wide commitment to a safe Post and workplace environment, VMI is committed to the development of preventative measures, including educational programming, publicizing behavioral health resources for cadets and employees, ongoing dialogue and assessment of Violence Prevention Strategies through the Violence Prevention Committee, and assessment and management of threats according to national and regional best practices by the Threat Assessment Team.
The Deputy Superintendent for Finance, Administration and Support chairs a Post-wide Violence Prevention Committee, and a sub-set of that Committee comprised of legal, medical, mental health, law enforcement, student affairs, and human resources professionals charged with assessing and managing threats of violence.
The Threat Assessment Team is responsible for:
- Receiving reports of persons who have engaged in threatening behaviors or conduct that raises serious concern about their well-being, stability, or potential for violence or suicide;
- Assessing individuals whose behavior may represent a threat to the VMI community according to national and regional best practices;
- Determining appropriate means of intervention with individuals whose behavior may represent a threat and sufficient means of action, including interim suspension. medical furlough, referrals to community services boards or health care providers for evaluation or treatment, or medical separation;
- Conducting an annual review to identify potential or existing threats, including gathering and analyzing data to identify high-risk departments, activities, or locations;
- Communicating internally with employees and cadets; and
- Developing and maintaining working relationships with local and state law enforcement and mental health agencies to expedite assessment and intervention with individuals whose behavior may present a threat to safety.
Do Your Part
There are many behaviors and circumstances that may indicate an increasing risk for violence, significant disruption to others, or that a person is in need of assistance. The significance of any one behavior or circumstance is often difficult to determine. Therefore, the threat assessment process is designed to review the situation in the context of all of the facts that can be known.
Violence, especially that targeted toward a specific victim, most commonly stems from the interaction of 4 factors: S – The subject who may take violent action T – The vulnerabilities of the target or victim E – An environment that facilitates, permits, or does not discourage violence P – Any precipitating events that may trigger reactions
S – The subject who may take violent action
- Attempts to harm or kill self
- Unexplained increases in absenteeism
- Decreased performance in work or academics
- Resistance to change or reasonable limits
- Over-reaction to changes in policies/procedures
- Extreme or sudden changes in behaviors
- Numerous conflicts with others
- Difficulty learning from past behaviors or experiences
- Displays paranoia or distrust
- Alienates others or isolates self from others
- Makes statements indicating approval of use of violence to resolve a problem
- Identifies with or idolizes persons who have engaged in violence toward others.
T – The vulnerabilities of the target or victim
- Unclear or inconsistent expectations
- Consistency of travel/movement/patterns
- Denial in the face of a clear threat posed
- Passive orientation to safety Ease of access
E – An environment that facilitates, permits, or does not discourage violence
- Chronic unresolved conflict
- High perceived levels of stress
- Toleration of aggressive or hostile interactions
- Perceived distrust/devaluing
- Existence of pecking order/cliques
P – Any precipitating events that may trigger reactions
- Losses (such as):
- Job/Income
- Status
- Significant other/relationship
- Perceived rejection or injustice
- Ostracized by others health problems (e.g., head injuries)
Note that such precipitating events may be real, perceived, or anticipated by the subject of concern.
These examples are meant to help you identify potential concerns during your daily interactions with others. These examples are NOT all-inclusive and this information is not intended to be used as a checklist.
If you are aware of a situation that has indicators of concern like the ones listed below, please share what you know with the Threat Assessment Team or the VMI Police Department (x7017).
Source: Virginia Tech Threat Assessment Team
Resources
Websites
Legal Resources
Related Links
- Virginia Employee Assistance Program
- General Order 25 — Workplace Violence Prevention
Books and Articles
- Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (2006). Risk assessment guideline elements for violence: Considerations for assessing the risk of future violent behavior. Los Angeles: Authors.
- Borum, Fein, Vossekuil, & Berglund (1999). Threat assessment: Defining an approach for evaluating risk of targeted violence. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 17, 323-337.
- Braverman, M. (1999). Preventing workplace violence: A guide for employers and practitioners. London: Sage.
- Calhoun, F. & Weston, S. (2003). Contemporary threat management: A practical guide for identifying, assessing, and managing individuals of violent intent. San Diego, CA. Specialized Training Services.
- Calhoun, F. & Weston, S. (June 2006). Protecting judicial officials: Implementing an effective threat management process. Bureau of Justice Assistance Bulletin, 1-8. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
- Corcoran, M.H. & Cawood, J.S. (2003). Violence assessment and intervention: The practitioner’s handbook. New York: CRC.
- DeBecker, G. (1997). The gift of fear: And other survival signals that protect us from violence. New York: Dell.
- Deisinger, G., Randazzo, M., O’Neill, D. & Savage, J. (2008). The Handbook for Campus Threat Assessment & Management Teams. Stoneham, MA: Applied Risk Management. Available at http://www.sigmatma.com/colleges-universities/books/.
- Delaware Technical & Community College (2008). Behavioral intervention and threat assessment available at https://policies.dtcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/behavioral-intervention-threat-assessment.pdf
- Delworth, U. (1989). Dealing With the Behavioral and Psychological Problems of Students. New Directions for Student Services, no. 45. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Dunkle, J., Silverstein, Z. & Warner, S. (2008). Managing violent and other troubling students: The role of threat assessment on campus. Journal of College and University Law, 34(3), 585-636.
- Fein, R. & Vossekuil, B. (1998). Protective intelligence and threat assessment investigations: A guide for state and local law enforcement officials. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
- Fein, R., Vossekuil, B. & Holden, G. (September 1995). Threat assessment: An approach to prevent targeted violence. Research in Action, 1-7. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
- Flannery, R.B. (1995). Violence in the workplace. New York: Crossroad.
- Gallagher, R. (2007). National Survey of Counseling Center Directors 2007. Alexandria, VA: International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.
- Hoffman, A.M., Schuh, J.H., & Fenske, R.H. (Eds.). (1998). Violence on campus: Defining the problems, Strategies for Action. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
- International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA). (1993). Handling institutional violence on campus. Hartford, CT: IACLEA.
- IACLEA (1996). Handling violence in the workplace. Hartford, CT: IACLEA.
- IACLEA (2008). Overview of the Virginia Tech tragedy and implications for campus safety: The IACLEA Blueprint for safer campuses. West Hartford, CT: IACLEA.
- Jaeger, L., Deisinger, E., Houghton, D., & Cychosz, C. (1993). A coordinated response to critical incidents. Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
- Jed Foundation (2008). Student mental health and the law: A resource for institutions of higher education. New York, NY: The Jed Foundation.
- Lake, P. F. (June 2007). Higher education called to account: Colleges and the law after Virginia Tech. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(43), B6.
- Lazenby, R. (Ed.). (2007). April 16: Virginia Tech Remembers. New York: Plume.
- Leavitt, M., Spellings, M., & Gonzalez, A. (2007). Report to the President on issues raised by the Virginia Tech tragedy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Justice.
- Meloy, J.R. (2000). Violence risk and threat assessment. San Diego, Specialized Training Services.
- Mohandie, K. (2000). School violence threat management: A practical guide for educators, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. San Diego, CA: Specialized Training Services.
- Monahan, J. (1995). The clinical prediction of violent behavior. London: J. Aronson.
- Monahan, J., Steadman, H.J., Silver, E., & Applebaum, P.S. (2001). Rethinking risk assessment: The MacArthur study of mental disorder and violence. New York: Oxford.
- National Association of Attorneys General (2007). NAAG task force on school and campus safety: Report and recommendations. Washington, DC: National Association of Attorneys General.
- Pavela, G. The Pavela Report. Available at http://collegepubs.com.
- Quinsey, V.L., Harris, G.T., Rice, M.E. & Cormier, C.A. (1998). Violent offenders: Appraising and managing risk. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Randazzo, M., Borum, R., Vossekuil, B., Fein, R., Modzeleski, W., & Pollack, W. (2006). Threat assessment in schools: Empirical support and comparison with other approaches. In S.R. Jimerson and M.J. Furlong (Eds.), The handbook of school violence and school safety: From research to practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
- Reddy, M., Borum, R., Vossekuil, B., Fein, R., Berglund, J., & Modzeleski, W., (2001). Evaluating risk for targeted violence in schools: Comparing risk assessment, threat assessment, and other approaches. Psychology in the Schools, 38, pp. 157-172.
- Sluss, M. (2008, April 9). Governor signs Virginia Tech-inspired mental health reform bills. The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com/webmin/news/governor-signs-virginia-tech-inspired-mental-health-reform-bills/article_cee1c59b-7176-584e-a48f-749eddc74931.html, retrieved August 9, 2010.
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center (2004). Promoting mental health and preventing suicide in college and university settings. Newton, MA: Education Development Center, Inc.
- The Jed Foundation (2008). Student mental health and the law: A resource for institutions of higher education. New York, NY: The Jed Foundation.
- Turner, J. & Gelles, M. (2003), Threat assessment: A risk management approach. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.
- United States Postal Service Threat Assessment Team Task Force (1997). Threat assessment team guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Postal Service
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Email: boobarjr@vmi.edu
Phone: (540) 464-7697
Threat Assessment
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