SCHOOL AND COLLEGE VIOLENCE PLANNING CONSULTANT AND EXPERT

School and College Violence Management and Consulting: A Practical Approach to Prevention, Protection, Training, De-escalation, Mitigation and Response

We Develop, Implement and Train School and College Violence and Harassment Prevention, Mitigation and Response Plans, Policies and Programs that are uniquely functional, practical and effective

No canned or off-the-shelf School or College Violence or Harassment Program or Policy will adequately and properly address your very unique and particular risks, threats, culture, values, history, functions and budgets.  You do not have a true School or College Violence Program, Plan or Policy if yours is composed mostly of statements of zero tolerance, banned weapons on site, and/or required reporting of threats or violent acts.  People will not report just because there is a policy - they must understand why, how, what and when to report.

We are often called following a school violence-related incident or when there is a perceived threat, and we advise as to reasonable, prudent and cost effective steps to take that will meet your particular needs, values, culture, history, risks, vulnerabilities and budgets.

There are three facets of a proper school or college violence program, and yours should address each, including:

• Violence Prevention, largely addressed by training, counseling, awareness, anti-bullying programs, and procedural and physical security measures

• The Mitigation and De-escalation of threatening and otherwise potentially violent behavior, to include training employees in handling confrontational and aggressive behavior and planning for the safe handling of triggering events such as terminations, disciplines and expulsions.

• Crisis and Duress Response, or safely responding to the actual attack or violence situation

It is important to note that probably the most common thread found among the major school and college violence (and domestic violence) cases was that people who knew the attacker later stated they knew the attacker was somehow unstable or threatening, and that they expected he or she would eventually cause somebody harm.  And yet they never raised their concerns to anyone who could address the escalating problem.  This can apply to "domestic spill-over" where current or former spouses or significant others threaten.  A secondary common thread was that many incidents followed a poorly handled or emotional termination, expulsion or discipline.  Therefore, it is critical to implement a school or college violence program that will foster early reporting of intimidating or threatening behavior, will preserve dignity, and will plan for safely and securely handled triggering events such as terminations, disciplines, lay-offs, refusals of service, expulsions, etc.

It should also be noted that many new state laws expanding rights of guns owners to bring guns onto and into workplaces means that it behooves organizations all the more to have in place a reasonable and prudent school violence policy that fairly addresses weapons and protects people.

Our School and College Violence Prevention and Response services are geared to your unique needs and concerns.  They may include:

• Development or Review of School and College Violence Plans, Policies and Procedures. 

• Development of Domestic Violence Prevention Plans and Programs

• Needs Assessments and/or School or College Violence or Security Surveys or Assessments to determine your true risks and vulnerabilities and to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your present School or College Violence Prevention and Response and/or Security Programs.  For more on Assessments and Surveys, please see our "Assessments" page.

• School or College Violence Prevention and Response Training of employees, supervisors/managers, students and parents on School Violence Prevention and Response, which may include (note that such training media can be classroom, computer/web/intranet, workbook, and/or video based:

  • How to recognize early Warning Signs and Behavioral Indicators, as well as potential Triggering or Precipitating Events and Contributing Factors, of school or college violence

  • The Stages and Types of and Escalating and Evolving Nature of school violence - The Violence Continuum

  • Understanding the Threat of school and school violence - the Statistics

  • Common Threads of school or college violence

  • Discussion of potential and typical perpetrators and victims of school violence

  • Security Awareness, and employees', students', parents', and contractors' duty to prevent school violence and to be protective of their schools and fellow employees and students, as well as their responsibilities under the security program

  • What To Do if threatened or harassed

  • Domestic Violence prevention considerations

  • Safe robbery Response and Prevention

  • Dealing with Conflict, Confrontation and Aggressive Behavior - De-escalating, mitigating and avoiding threatening situations

  • The Responsibility to Report suspicious, threatening or other potentially hazardous or threatening situations.  Note that most persons will not report unless trained on how and why.

  • The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and other Counseling Options

  • Personal Protective and Safety Measures at home, while traveling, etc.  It can be useful to tie and relate employees' personal protection and safety to their safety and security at work.

  • The Supervisor's and Administrator's specific duties under the program, including how to properly address reports of potential or actual school or college violence, planning for the potential triggering event (e.g. termination, discipline or lay-off), repercussions for retaliation, and the importance of managing the civil and respectful school. 

  • Development of communications materials which may include posters, flyers, memos, check inserts, etc.

• Support in Planning for and managing potentially problematic or disruptive situations (triggering or precipitating events) such as lay-offs, terminations, disciplines, expulsions, downsizing, strikes, demonstrations, refusals of service, etc.

• Development of a school or college violence Response, Critical Incident, and Threat or Incident Management Process to assure proper and qualified  teams/responders, protocols, investigations, tracking, remediation options, emergency notification/evacuations, law enforcement liaison, family and community communications and support, media relations, etc.

• Development of Threat Assessment Teams (TAT) or Threat Management Teams (TMT) and processes

• Development and Training on Sexual and Discriminatory Harassment Policies and Programs

• Providing Support Following a School or College Violence Incident.  Such an incident can have a detrimental, even devastating, long-term effect on morale, reputation and the ability to function.  We can assist in planning to prevent recurrence, eliciting feedback from employees and students, training, and other appropriate steps to reflect the organization's concern for its people and their welfare.

• Development of Incident and Threat Reporting, Tracking and Trending systems to identify evolving and changing risks and vulnerabilities

• Incorporating Safety and Security into Disciplinary, Lay-off and Termination Procedures 

• Development of Alternate Reporting tools such as Hotlines or an Ombudsman

• Litigation and School or College Violence Expert Witness Support in lawsuits involving school violence and in mitigating such lawsuits

Please call or write us to discuss the development of a comprehensive School or College Violence Prevention and Response program, plan and/or policy that will meet your culture, risks, values, needs and budgets.

We can provide a list of clients and professional references upon request.

We are located in the Midwest between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI close to St. Louis, Madison, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Indianapolis, and support clients throughout North America, Europe and the world

Helping you protect your people, assets, reputation and value

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