As a part of the Gator Nation, we are all in this together, for the Gator- and greater-good. By submitting a report, you are, minimally, bringing to light a situation where someone may be in need of assistance. UF’s threat assessment utilizes multiple data points to establish a baseline of potential harm to oneself or others. It is the comprehensive assembled information that helps inform the team and decisions. Each data provides an invaluable piece of intelligence used to determine next steps.
Disclaimer: Regardless of what you may read on this or other websites, if you have a “gut feeling” or something you heard, witnessed, or read, has made you concerned, nervous, or just doesn’t “feel right” – you are encouraged to report it.
There are many behaviors and circumstances that may indicate an increasing risk for violence, significant disruption to others, or that a person is in need of assistance. The significance of any one behavior or circumstance, in isolation, is often difficult to determine. Therefore, the threat assessment process is designed to review the situation in context of all of the facts that can be known.
The FDOE Model Behavioral Threat Assessment and Best Practices for K-12 Schools identifies some behaviors that could be indicators of concerns include, but are not limited to:
- unusual social distancing or isolation from peers and family members;
- sullen or depressed behavior from an otherwise friendly and positive person;
- out-ot-context outbursts of verbal or physical aggression;
- increased levels of agitation, frustration and anger;
- confrontational, accusatory, or blaming behavior;
- an unusual interest or fascination with weapons;
- fixation on violence as a means of addressing a grievance.
The Safe School Initiative (USSS & USDOE) provided 10 key findings in their 2014 report.
- 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.