Safe School Initiative: An Interim Report on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in Schools

Personnel from the Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) studied 37 school shootings, involving 41 attackers who were current or recent students at the schools. Shootings clearly related to gang or involved with a relationship dispute that just happened to occur at school were not included. This report presents the preliminary findings from analysis of the behavior and thinking of these school shooters. It determined that most incidents of targeted violence are rarely impulsive. Attacks are typically the results of an understandable and discernable process of thinking and behavior. Prior to the incident, the attacker told someone about his idea, although there is not an accurate profile of the school shooter. Most attackers had access to guns. In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity, and bullying played a key role in the attack. Most attackers engaged in some kind of behavior prior to the incident that caused others concern or indicated a need for help. The report suggests that a significant step in prevention is not only to identify students who are plotting an attack, but determine how best to respond to students who are already known to be in trouble

Preventing Targeted Violence Against Judicial Officials and Courts

Attacks against judicial officials and the courts are rare events but carry the potential for tremendous impact on the American judiciary. In this article, the authors describe a systematic approach to prevent targeted violence against judges and their courts. They begin with a brief overview of findings from operational research on assassinations and attacks against public officials, including judges. They then review the threat assessment approach, a fact based risk assessment method developed to prevent assassinations, and examine its utility for evaluating risk of targeted violence toward judges and courts. The authors conclude with a discussion of research recommendations to better understand and prevent targeted violence in the judiciary