Threat Assessment (School Setting)

(Throughout this document: Present objective observations and sources first under Facts, followed by a separate Interpretation subsection. Use direct quotes for the index threat statement, key admissions/denials, and critical third-party statements. Timestamp all critical actions. For weapon access, intent, plan, target, and timeline, record as [Yes / No / Unknown]. Use neutral, behavior-based language. Frame risk as conditional and time-bound.)

Note Type: Threat Assessment (School Setting)

Case/Incident ID: [Case or incident ID]

Date/Time Created: [Date and time]

Assessment Period: [Start date/time] – [End date/time]

Location: [School name]; [Building/room]; [on-campus / off-campus / remote]

Student/Person of Concern: [Name]; [DOB]; [Grade]; [Student ID if applicable]

Program: [general education / special education / other]

Language/Interpreter: [Primary language]; Interpreter used: [Y / N]

Assessment Team: [Names and roles of team members present]

Other Participants: [Guardian, SRO, outside clinician, others with participation method]

Record Type: [threat assessment file / educational record / health record]

Consent Status: [consent obtained / emergency exception invoked / releases signed] — [Brief explanation]

Reason for Assessment

[Trigger for assessment: threat, concerning behavior, weapon rumor, social media post, leakage report, other] — [Who requested and why now] (One to two sentences.)

Immediate Safety Status and Actions

(If no urgent concerns or actions were required, state: "No immediate protective actions were required; student remained supervised per routine." and omit the remaining fields in this section.)

Safety status at first contact: [Contact date/time]; [Student location]; [Supervision status]; [Injuries or medical concerns if any]

Protective actions taken (with timestamps):

• [Date/time] — [Separation from peers/target] — [Outcome]
• [Date/time] — [Search conducted: area/person/device] — [Outcome/items found or none]
• [Date/time] — [Parent/guardian contacted: who, by whom] — [Outcome]
• [Date/time] — [Law enforcement contacted: reason] — [Outcome]
• [Date/time] — [Emergency mental health evaluation initiated: location/transport] — [Outcome]
• [Date/time] — [Environmental safety steps] — [Outcome]

Rationale: Facts: [Specific observed facts prompting actions] | Interpretation: [Why actions were necessary based on facts]

Reported Concern

Report intake: [Reporter name/role or "anonymous"]; [Date/time received]; [Modality: in person / tip line / email / screenshot]; [Reporter reliability: firsthand / hearsay / unknown]

Index behavior/threat:

• Exact content (quoted): "[Direct quote of words/images/descriptions]"
• Mode: [spoken / written / drawing / online post / video / gesture]
• Location and circumstances: [Where and context]
• Target(s): [specific person / group / school in general / self]
• Conditionality/timeframe/method referenced: [Details or none stated]

Evidence: [List of attachments: screenshots, notes, video, objects] — [Storage/retention location] (Do not embed sensitive images in narrative.)

Initial triage (if applicable): [Initial classification per program: transient / substantive / other] — [Brief basis]

Information Sources

Interviews completed:

• Student interview — [Date/time]; [Setting]; [Who present]
• Parent/guardian interview — [Date/time]; [Setting]; [Who present]
• Staff collateral — [Name/role] — [Date/time]; [Setting]; [Who present] (Repeat as needed)
• Peer collateral — [Name/relationship] — [Date/time]; [Setting]; [Who present] (Repeat as needed)
• Target/victim interview — [Date/time]; [Setting]; [Who present] (If applicable)

Records reviewed: [Attendance; grades; discipline; prior threat assessments/safety plans; IEP/504 elements; counseling/health notes if authorized; law enforcement contacts with source cited]

Digital/media review: [Platforms/content reviewed]; [Provider]; [Dates covered]; [Limitations]

Missing sources: [Source not obtained]; [Reason: unable to reach / declined / unavailable]; [Plan to obtain or acknowledge limitation] (Required when gaps affect risk determination.)

Contextual and Historical Information

(Include this section only when relevant context exists; omit entirely if no pertinent information.)

Precipitating context: [Conflict or grievance details; bullying/harassment; recent stressors such as disciplinary action, breakup, academic issues, family/housing changes]

Behavioral history: [Prior threats/aggression/weapon-related behaviors; self-harm threats/attempts; substance use; impulsivity vs planning pattern]

Clinical factors (if known and documented): [Diagnoses with source; current treatment and adherence; recent mood/sleep/irritability/hopelessness changes; trauma exposure if disclosed and relevant]

Environmental factors: [Home supervision/routines; access to trusted adults/mentors; school connectedness/activities]

Interview Summaries

Student Interview

Conditions: [Setting]; [Privacy]; [Who present]; [Interpreter if used]; [Engagement level]; [Limits to interview if any]

Student narrative: Facts (quoted when possible): [Student's description, admission or denial, explanation offered] | Interpretation: [Accountability indicators: remorse, empathy, understanding of consequences]

Intent, plan, means, opportunity:

• Intent to harm others: [Yes / No / Unknown]
• Target specificity (named vs general): [Yes / No / Unknown]
• Plan or timeframe: [Yes / No / Unknown]
• Method and weapon access: [Yes / No / Unknown] — [Type, how obtained, storage if Yes]
• Preparatory behaviors (searching, rehearsing, acquiring items, making lists): [Yes / No / Unknown]
• Leakage (told peers, posted online, written communications): [Yes / No / Unknown]
• Barriers to action (supervision, access restrictions, fear of consequences, moral objections): [Yes / No / Unknown]

Self-harm screening (include when indicated): [Suicidal ideation, plan, intent, behaviors]; [Murder-suicide themes if any]

Clinical observations (optional, for clinician authors): [Appearance; affect; thought process/content; insight; judgment; impulse control] (Use behaviorally anchored, non-stigmatizing descriptions.)

Protective factors elicited: [Future orientation; connections to family/adults/peers; help-seeking willingness; coping skills]

Parent/Guardian Interview

[Understanding of incident and student baseline; home stressors/supports; means safety (weapons type/storage/access; medications; sharps); supervision plan for next 72 hours; willingness to participate in interventions and barriers; consent/release decisions]

Staff Collateral

• [Name/role]; [Relationship to student and duration] — Facts: [Observed behavior changes with dates/examples; peer conflicts/bullying; prior concerning communications/interests; academic/attendance changes; effective de-escalation strategies] | Interpretation: [Brief meaning]
• (Repeat for each staff source)

Peer/Bystander Collateral

• [Peer name/relationship] — Facts (quote when exact content known): [How learned: direct vs rumor; exact content provided] | Safety steps: [Steps taken to protect from retaliation]
• (Repeat for each peer/bystander)

Target/Victim Interview

(Include if applicable.)

Facts: [Safety needs; fear level; specific concerns; desired school supports; what was shared with target/guardian and rationale] | Interpretation: [Risk to target and needed supports]

Risk and Protective Factor Analysis

(For each applicable domain, document: Facts with sources → Interpretation → Current status [Present / Absent / Unknown] → Modifiers that could increase or decrease risk. Omit domains with no relevant information.)

• Motive and grievance: Facts: [Details and sources] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Communications and leakage: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Inappropriate interests (attacks/weapons/extremism): Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Weapon access and means: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Means safety: [Current status and steps needed]
• Stressors and destabilizers: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Emotional/behavioral dysregulation: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Normalization of violence: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Capacity to carry out an act (skills/opportunity/access): Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Planning and preparation behaviors: Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]
• Consistency (narrative vs evidence): Facts: [Details] | Interpretation: [Meaning] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Modifiers: [What would change risk]

Protective factors (required): Facts: [Specific protective factors: relationships, supervision, treatment engagement, prosocial goals, restricted access to means, moral objections, help-seeking] | Interpretation: [How these reduce risk now] | Status: [Present / Absent / Unknown] | Enhancements: [Steps to strengthen]

Risk Formulation

Formulation: [Time-bound, conditional synthesis of risk for harm to others and/or self; why risk is elevated or not; conditions that would increase risk; conditions that reduce risk] (Base solely on facts and interpretations documented above.)

Level of concern: [Low / Moderate / High / Imminent] or [Transient / Substantive] per program taxonomy — [One to two sentence justification grounded in analysis]

Limitations and uncertainty: [Missing interviews; unverified information; contradictory accounts; other gaps] — [What new information would change the determination]

(This determination is behavior- and context-based, not profile-based, and reflects current conditions rather than long-term prediction.)

Management Plan

(Organize by timeframe and responsible party. Align actions with identified risk modifiers and protective factor enhancements.)

Immediate (same day):

• School: [Supervision; schedule changes; separation from target; transport] — Owner: [Name/role] — [Date/time]
• Family: [Pickup; supervision; means restriction; urgent appointments] — Owner: [Name/role] — [Date/time]
• Clinical: [Crisis evaluation; referrals] — Owner: [Name/role] — [Date/time]
• Law enforcement (if applicable): [Actions] — Owner: [Name/role] — [Date/time]

Short-term (1–14 days):

• [Counseling check-in frequency; reintegration plan; academic supports; conflict mediation/restorative steps if safe] — Owner: [Name/role] — Target date: [Date]

Longer-term (2+ weeks):

• [Therapy/psychiatric care; behavior support/skill-building; family support services; monitoring plan; criteria to reduce monitoring] — Owner: [Name/role] — Target date: [Date]

Means safety plan: (Required when weapon access is present or unknown.)

• [Specific steps: storage changes; temporary removal from home; lock changes; access supervision] — Owner: [Name/role] — Timeline: [Date]
• (If access status unknown: steps to clarify; interim restrictions)

Target safety plan (if applicable): [School-based protections; communication channels; staff contacts; what was shared with target/guardian and rationale]

Follow-up schedule: Next review: [Date/time]; Triggers for immediate reassessment: [New threats; leakage; weapon access change; significant stressor]

Notifications and Disclosures

(If no disclosures outside the threat assessment team occurred, state: "No disclosures outside the threat assessment team were made during this assessment.")

• Recipient: [Name; role; relationship] — Information shared: [Minimum necessary summary] — Legal/policy basis: [consent / emergency exception / school official with legitimate interest] — Date/time and method: [Details] — Outcome: [Reached; actions taken]
• (Repeat as needed)

Disposition

Case status: [Open / Monitoring / Closed]

Conditions for closure: [Measurable conditions]

Plan storage and follow-up ownership: [Where the plan is stored; who is responsible for follow-up]

Signatures

Author: [Name]; [Credentials]; [Date/time]

Team lead attestation (if applicable): [Name]; [Role]; [Date/time]