Keeping Schools Safe? The Research on Behavioral Threat Assessments
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| Title: | Keeping Schools Safe? The Research on Behavioral Threat Assessments |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jennifer L. DePaoli, Stacy B. Loewe, Learning Policy Institute |
| Source: | Learning Policy Institute. 2025. |
| Availability: | Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 36 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Descriptors: | School Safety, Risk Assessment, Student Behavior, School Violence, Prevention, Psychological Patterns, Security (Psychology), Models, Educational Research, Educational Policy, Program Implementation, Educational Environment, Data Collection, Data Use, Mental Health Programs, School Health Services, School Counseling, Program Design, Law Enforcement, Bias, Program Improvement |
| Abstract: | One way that schools have attempted to address both physical and psychological safety in school is the use of behavioral threat assessments (BTAs). These systems aim to identify, assess, and manage the threat of targeted violence--attacks in which the school is deliberately selected as the location--with the ultimate goal of intervening to prevent such violence. In the 2021-22 school year, 65% of schools across the United States reported having a threat assessment team. By April 2024, this number had jumped to 85%. Despite the prevalence of BTA systems in schools, the available evidence on their implementation and outcomes is only beginning to paint a picture of how they are being implemented and what impacts they are having on students. This report explores the history of BTAs and summarizes the available research on these systems in schools. The authors then share considerations policymakers should be aware of as they contemplate the use of BTAs as a violence prevention strategy. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678946 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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