Threat Assessment is a proactive, behavioral approach to violence prevention that emphasizes early attention to problems such as bullying, teasing, and other forms of student conflict before they escalate into violent behavior. Threat Assessment involves identifying student threats to commit a violent act, determining the seriousness of the threat, and developing intervention plans that protect potential victims and address the underlying problem or conflict that stimulated the threatening behavior. Implementation of threat assessment programs in schools increases support for students in need and emphasizes a healthy school climate.

The goals of threat assessment are to keep schools safe and to help potential offenders overcome the underlying sources of their anger, hopelessness, or despair. Effective threat assessment provides school professionals with useful information about a student’s risk and personal resources.  

Lakeville Area Schools has adopted and implemented the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), an evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach used to identify, evaluate and support students who present a significant concern or threat to themselves and others. The CSTAG is viewed nationally as the most thorough and comprehensive model for performing threat assessments in schools. The guidelines have been widely adopted by schools in many states. In Lakeville, teams will include individuals with expertise in counseling, instruction, school administration, and law enforcement.  

Threat Assessment is recognized as best practice for preventing targeted school violence by the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center, the FBI, Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security.