School and Workplace Violence
Acts of school and workplace violence, including both active shooter incidents and violent protests, threaten life safety and security, undermine public confidence, and emotionally devastate affected communities. IHEs should use these resources to build campus resilience by adequately preparing for and responding to violent incidents.
The resources in this section provide useful information related to School and Workplace Violence. The resources are organized according to the relevant Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mission Area within each category:
Active shooter incidents escalate quickly and evolve rapidly. While many conclude after a few short minutes, others stretch on for hours. IHEs should use these resources to protect their schools, safeguard the lives of their students, faculty, and staff, and facilitate the recovery process following this type of incident.
Preparedness (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation)
- Prevention: This mission area focuses on the ability to avoid, prevent, or stop an imminent threat.
- Protection: This mission area focuses on the ability to secure and protect a community against a variety of threats and hazards.
- Mitigation: This mission area focuses on the ability to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster.
Guides and Best Practices
Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School ViolenceU.S. Secret Service has published these resources to aid in identifying students of concern, assessing their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and identifying intervention strategies to manage that risk.
K-12 School Security: A Guide for Preventing and Protecting against Gun Violence (2nd ed., 2018)This guide provides preventive and protective measures to address the threat of gun violence in schools.
Peaceful protests and demonstrations are commonplace across college and university campuses today. Most serve as a peaceful means of political and social engagement; however, IHEs do occasionally witness the violent escalation of these events. IHEs should use these resources to prepare for situations in which civil unrest devolves into criminality or violence and mitigate the subsequent loss of life and property.
Soft targets include any person or thing that is relatively unprotected or vulnerable to a terrorist attack or an act of violence. Soft targets on college and university campuses today present a unique challenge given the large number of on- and off-campus populations, often resulting in crowded public areas. IHEs should use these resources to prepare for a potential soft target attack against crowded places.
Preparedness (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation)
- Prevention: This mission area focuses on the ability to avoid, prevent, or stop an imminent threat.
- Protection: This mission area focuses on the ability to secure and protect a community against a variety of threats and hazards.
- Mitigation: This mission area focuses on the ability to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster.
Trainings
Vehicle Ramming Attack Mitigation Video
Produced by the Department of Homeland Security, this video provides information to assist with mitigating the evolving threat corresponding to vehicle ramming incidents with insightful technical analysis from public and private sector subject matter experts.
Response
This mission area focuses on the ability to save lives, protect property and the environment, as well as meet the basic needs of a community during a disaster.
Please see the "All" category for resources that encompass the Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Mission Areas.
Recovery
This mission area focuses on the ability to assist communities in recovering effectively following a disaster.
Please see the "All" category for resources that encompass the Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Mission Areas.
All
Resources that fall into the "All" category contain useful information and guidance that is relevant to all FEMA Mission Areas.
Trainings
Critical Infrastructure Training This webpage provides provides links to various training programs for government and private sector partners offered by the DHS/Office of Infrastructure Protection. These trainings provide the knowledge and skills to implement critical infrastructure security and resilience activities.
Over the last 20 years, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has conducted research, training, and consultation on threat assessment and the prevention of various forms of targeted violence. Following the tragedy at Columbine High School in April 1999, the Secret Service partnered with the Department of Education on two studies related to school safety.
Published in 2002, the Safe School Initiative (SSI) (1.64MB PDF) examined 37 incidents of targeted violence that occurred at elementary and secondary schools to analyze the thinking and behavior of students who commit these attacks. The report, and accompanying guide, served as the impetus for establishing threat assessment programs in schools.
In 2008, the agencies released the Bystander Study (1.36MB PDF), a report that explored a key SSI finding that prior to most attacks, other students knew of the attackers’ plans, yet most did not report it to an adult. The report highlighted the importance of creating safe school climates in which students are empowered to share their concerns. Since then, NTAC has continued to provide and update training to schools, law enforcement, and others on threat assessment and prevention practices.
The tragic events of the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the May 18, 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, demonstrated the ongoing need to provide leadership in preventing future school attacks. On July 13, 2018, the NTAC released an operational guide that provides actionable steps that schools can take to develop comprehensive targeted violence prevention plans for conducting threat assessments in schools. This guide, titled Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model, provides an operational guide for preventing targeted school violence.
- Prevention: This mission area focuses on the ability to avoid, prevent, or stop an imminent threat.
- Protection: This mission area focuses on the ability to secure and protect a community against a variety of threats and hazards.
- Mitigation: This mission area focuses on the ability to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster.
Guides and Best Practices
Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence
U.S. Secret Service has published these resources to aid in identifying students of concern, assessing their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and identifying intervention strategies to manage that risk.
If You See Something Say Something
This website provides information on how to report suspicious activity and other guidance.
The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting
This handbook is designed to assist in a step-by-step and readable manner, in understanding and meeting Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) requirements.
Safe Awareness for Everyone
This resource connects readers with the Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) program which aims to engage, educate, and empower San Francisco to build safer neighborhoods through crime prevention, education, and public safety services that result in stronger, more vibrant and resilient communities.
Campus Security Guidelines
This resource provides emergency recommendations from the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association.
Pathway to Violence: Warning Signs and What You Can Do
This resource provides common warning signs and instructs readers on what to do in the event of a violent incident.
Enhancing Campus Safety and Security
This website connects users with multiple resources for enhancing campus safety and security.
Colleges Ramp up Stadium Security for Events
This article provides an overview in the change in "bag policies" as part of on-campus stadium security.
Rethinking Training for University Police Officers
This article focuses on the balance that police agencies must strike between meeting best policing practices and the needs of their communities.
Arming University Police Departments Part 2: Best Practices and Lessons Learned
This resource discusses the risks and benefits of arming university police departments.
Research and Reports
The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States
This report, published by the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Education, summarizes findings from the Safe School Initiative. It specifically details lessons learned for how to prevent acts of school violence.
Tools
Threat Assessment Tools
This website provides links to the National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA) Threat Assessment Tools.
Campus Safety Accreditation
This website connects readers with the CALEA Campus Security Accreditation Program, designed for educational campus security agencies or departments that primarily employ non-sworn security officers.
Trainings
CPTED Professional Training
The National Institute of Crime Prevention provides crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) training.
Clery Center News & Events
This resource provides a link to information and guidance to campus safety professionals in implementing Cleary Act requirements.
Beyond Orientation: Building a Prevention Calendar at a College or University
This webinar discusses the best types of prevention education programs for Institutions of Higher Education.
Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship
Provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this online course provides leading practices and resources to assist elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and houses of worship in developing emergency plans for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from mass casualty incidents.
Responder News: Strengthening Campus Security
This website offers useful resources for how to strengthen campus security and emergency planning efforts.
First Observer Plus Program
The First Observer Plus Program, supported by the Transportation Security Administration, provides transportation professionals with the knowledge needed to recognize suspicious activity, guidance for assessing observations, and a method for reporting observations.
National Summits on Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence
Hosted by Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), these summits bring together experts from a variety of disciplines, including law enforcement, academic education, social sciences, private security, and emergency management to develop cross-cutting prevention strategies and a framework for a prevention toolkit adaptable to individual communities.
Response
This mission area focuses on the ability to save lives, protect property and the environment, as well as meet the basic needs of a community during a disaster.
Guides and Best Practices
Behavioral Intervention Teams
This website provides information and resources regarding Behavior Intervention Teams.
Trainings
Ready Houston Videos and Resources
This website includes links to videos created by Ready Houston for how to track suspicious behavior as well as how react during an active shooter incident.
Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents--Partnering Rural Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Local School Systems Training Course
Developed by the University of Findlay as a member of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, this Awareness level course has been developed to educate rural law enforcement personnel as well as school administrators and personnel on the elements that must be in place to effectively respond to a school-based emergency.
Recovery
This mission area focuses on the ability to assist communities in recovering effectively following a disaster.
Please see the "All" category for resources that encompass the Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Mission Areas.
All
Resources that fall into the "All" category contain useful information and guidance that is relevant to all FEMA Mission Areas.
Guides and Best Practices
Campus Public Safety
This resource discusses the most common campus public safety issues faced by IHEs.
The Security Strategy That Works for 2 College Campuses
This resource offers a brief summary of the security strategies at University of San Francisco and Virginia Commonwealth University.
What Does Terrorism Look Like on a College Campus?
This article discusses the different definitions of terrorism as well as a wide variety of terrorist motivations and changing tactics that make addressing terrorism a challenge.
Building Your Campus' Security Muscle & Minds
This article instructs readers on how to foster executive, community, and security officer buy-in for programs, as well as make public safety training more effective.
Helping Victims of Mass Violence & Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources
This website offers a compendium of resources to assist in the preparation of victim assistance plans as a part of state and local emergency response plans.
School Bus Security Flyer
This flyer provides guidelines and other materials to school districts and transportation provides on school bus security.
K-12 School Security Practices Guide
Developed by the Department of Homeland Security this guide provides security best practices for consideration by communities to deter threats, address hazards and risks, and minimize damages from incidents at school.
National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), Research and Publications
The U.S. Secret Service's NTAC Research and Publications webpage provides information for law enforcement officials, public safety professionals, and others on threat assessment investigations, the prevention of targeted violence, and relevant operational research.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Website
This website provides information on HSI, the critical investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. HSI includes an Education Outreach Program, which is an effort to share information about the dangers within online environments, how to stay safe online; and how to report abuse and suspicious activity.
Research and Reports
Campus Safety at Oregon Post-Secondary Education Institutions
This analysis, prepared by the University of Oregon Campus Safety Working Group, seeks to improve the safety and resilience of Oregon campuses.
Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education
This report discussed the types of school and workplace violence threats that could occur within an academic community.
Tools
Campus Safety and Security
This website offers common tools needed for campus safety and security analysis.
Averted School Violence (ASV) Near Miss Reporting System
This resource allows Institutions of Higher Education to share reports of averted school violence to improve school safety.
Training
School Transportation Security Outreach Program
The School Transportation Security Outreach Program sponsored by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) provides guidelines and other materials to school districts and transportation providers on school bus security. To request TSA's school transportation training materials, contact highwaysecurity@dhs.gov.
Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents--Partnering Rural Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Local School Systems Web-Based Course
Sponsored by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, this awareness-level course has been developed to educate rural emergency responders, in particular law enforcement, as well as school administrators and staff on the elements that must be in place to effectively respond to school-based emergencies. This course provides an opportunity for rural law enforcement and school personnel to develop a partnership with regard to school safety through effective collaborative planning, preparedness, communication, and coordination of resources.
