10 Key Findings of the Safe School Initiative:

This is a list of findings from the Safe School Initiative, as referenced in On Target — School Safety.

Key Findings

• Incidents of targeted violence at school are rarely sudden, impulsive acts.

• Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack.

• Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.

• There is no accurate or useful “profile” of students who engage in targeted school violence.

• Most attackers engaged in some behavior, prior to the incident, that caused concern or indicated a need for help.

• Most attackers were known to have difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Many had considered or attempted suicide.

• Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.

• Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.

• In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity.

• Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention.

Source: Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates. United States Secret Service and United States Department of Education, 2002.

For more:

The Safety Complex; an interview with Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International