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Secret Service Releases 8 Steps to Prevent School Shootings

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WASHINGTON – The US Secret Service has developed a guide designed to reduce violence at schools by identifying students of concern, assessing their risk for engaging in violence and identifying strategies to reduce that risk.

On Thursday, the agency released "An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence" that includes the following eight steps for schools to follow.

  1.  Establish a threat assessment team – teachers, coaches, administrators and school resource officers who can direct, manage and document the threat assessment process.
  2. Define behaviors that should trigger immediate intervention, such as making threats, committing violent acts and bringing weapons on campus.
  3. Create a reporting system like a form on the school's website or app that ensures anonymity to people reporting concerns. School personnel should monitor it and follow up on every tip or concern.
  4. Establish a threshold for when law enforcement will get involved.
  5. Establish procedures for maintaining documentation, reviewing records and conducting interviews. The Secret Service suggests those procedures should include a guide on how to identify motives, stressors and access to weapons of students who pose a potential threat.
  6. Develop risk management options – that is, create plans to manage and defuse risks. Police should be notified immediately if a student is contemplating an attack.
  7. Create and promote a safe school climate. Schools are encouraged to promote communication, intervene in conflicts and bullying and empower students to share any concerns.
  8. Provide training to school personnel, students, parents and law enforcement.

The report states schools should employ a low threshold for intervention to best intercept students in distress before they become a safety concern.

The Secret Service is continuing to work on school safety and plans to release an updated study next spring.

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About The Author

Jennifer
Wishon

As Senior Washington Correspondent for CBN News, Jennifer covers the intersection of faith and politics - often producing longer format stories that dive deep into the most pressing issues facing Americans today. A 20-year veteran journalist, Jennifer has spent most of her career covering politics, most recently at the White House as CBN's chief White House Correspondent covering the Obama and Trump administrations. She's also covered Capitol Hill along with a slew of major national stories from the 2008 financial crisis to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and every election in between. Jennifer