Violence Prevention: Managing Situations
What if a youth makes a threat that puts him or her or others in imminent danger? For instance a weapon may be present.
Treat this as an emergency. To diffuse the situation you should:
- Alert the administration to activate your school's Incident Management Plan to contact:
- Police.
- School psychologist or counselor.
- Local mental health agencies or resources.
- Parents or guardians.
- Keep your distance. Try to create barriers between you and the person or weapon.
- Avoid aggressive body movements.
- Ask open-ended questions to keep the youth talking.
- Realize that you are not in control of the situation. Avoid projecting authority.
- Do not negotiate with the youth. You have nothing to negotiate with. Do not lie about helping.
- Time is your friend. Try to diffuse the situation until Police or a school psychologist arrives.
You should familiarize yourself with your school's Incident Management Plan, asking four questions:
- What exactly is the "plan"?
- Is there a crisis team in place?
- What is my role in the plan likely to be?
- What happens after an incident?
Knowing the answer to each question before a crisis happens will better prepare you and your school to act effectively. For more information or training on handling violent or potentially violent situations, contact the New York State Police or your local law enforcement agencies and ask about programs for schools in your community.
What if a youth who has exhibited some of the red flags makes a threat that may be carried out but does not pose imminent danger?
- Do not dismiss the threat as idle talk.
- Immediately talk with the youth.
- If the youth refuses to talk, is argumentative, responds defensively, or continues to express violent or dangerous thoughts or plans, arrange for an immediate evaluation by a qualified mental health professional.
- Do not leave the youth alone.
- Contact:
- School administration.
- School psychologist or counselor.
- Parents or guardians.
- Local mental health agency.
- Police, if warranted.
What if I still have concerns about a youth?
Work with your school's administration to obtain an examination by a qualified mental health professional whenever you are concerned about threats a youth makes. While there is no foolproof method of identifying potentially dangerous youths, it is best to bring your concerns to the attention of people who can professionally assess the risk for violence.