School Violence

NASP – High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears.

Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence is the most comprehensive analysis of targeted school violence ever produced by the federal government. The study offers unparalleled insight into the motives, behaviors, and other situational factors that ultimately led to school violence.

NASP – School principals and superintendents can provide leadership by reassuring students, staff, and parents … and reiterating what safety measures and student supports are already in place in their school.

National Center for School Safety – A toolkit outlining a framework for implementing Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented (TR) approaches in schools and school districts.

School-Counselor.org – School Violence Prevention. Time and time again we find that much of what we initially believe to be true… is false. Random acts of violence in schools turn out to be hardly random at all. Learn about school violence prevention programs and how they are lifting the veil of obscurity from acts of school violence.

Common Sense Media – With concerns mounting over the impact of media and technology on well-being, parents want to make sure kids are interacting in positive ways. But when kids disappear into their devices, it’s hard to tell if there’s cause for concern — or not. In partnership with the Child Mind Institute, Common Sense Media offers advice and solutions for potential pitfalls such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Learn more about keeping media and tech use healthy and positive, identifying mental health red flags, and when it might be time to step in.

National Center for School Safety – This document brings together resources that explain when to release or withhold student information collected through reporting systems and threat assessment processes.

NASP – Children, staff, and parents all have an important role in promoting school safety by following procedures and reporting concerns. It is also important to balance sufficient building security with a healthy, nurturing, school environment.

U.S. Secret Service – This operational guide was developed to provide fundamental direction on how to prevent incidents of targeted school violence, that is, when a student specifically selects a school or a member of the school community for harm. The content in this guide is based on information developed by the U.S. Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division, National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC).

CDC – Youth violence includes various behaviors. Some violent acts – such as bullying, pushing, and shoving – can cause more emotional harm than physical harm.

CDC – Creating safe and supportive environments (SSE) emphasizes aspects of the school environment that encourage students to be more engaged in their school life and feel connected to important adults at school and at home.

CDC – School violence is violence that occurs in the school setting. It describes violent acts that disrupt learning and have a negative effect on students, schools, and the broader community. School is the location where the violence occurs, not a type of violence.

National Center for School Safety – Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) is a form of violence risk assessment that assesses individuals who have threatened harm.

The willingness of bystanders to come forward with concerns for the wellness and safety of themselves or others is a key component of student health and violence prevention efforts in kindergarten through 12th grade (K12) schools. The CISA-USSS K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit is designed to help community leaders create tailored, customized approaches to encourage reporting that meet the needs of their unique communities. It can be used to inform safety planning for the range of K-12 schools across the United States and is applicable to diverse geographical contexts ranging from rural to urban, and to schools and districts at various levels of maturity in their approach to reporting.

National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources. The report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, and student use of drugs and alcohol. The indicators of crime and safety are compared across different population subgroups and over time. Data on crimes that occur away from school are also offered as a point of comparison where available.

Topics on this handout include: “Shattering the myths of bullying”, “You Can Help”, “Who’s the bully… not my child!” and “Why don’t kids ask for help?” (KCSS 2-Sided Handout)

The underpinning of the Kentucky Center for School Safety is that a safe, nurturing learning environment is essential to an effective and productive school. For that reason, KCSS is offers. anti-bullying trainings to assist school districts with understanding the impact of bullying effective strategies for change, and framework for implementing a Comprehensive Bullying Prevention Plan. For more information or to schedule a training for your school contact Dan Orman at 502-783-1449, cell 502-424-8652 or email to dan.orman@ksba.org

Topics on this handout include: “What is Bullying?”, “Have they been guilty of bullying someone else?”, “Parents: How to talk about bullying”, “What’s up with all the bullying behavior?”, “5 Tips for parents to prevent bullying” and “Safe on Social Media!”  (KCSS 2-Sided Handout)

In the wake of recent school violence, and after a strong demand from area schools, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) with input from school administrators across the state, have developed a program aimed at helping all schools respond effectively during an active shooting incident. The program does not set school policy. It provides four levels of KSP assistance to aid school officials in establishing their own action plans. School administrators, depending on the need of the individual schools, can choose any one or all four levels of the assistance being offered.

Kentucky State Police (KSP) created this video to teach younger kids about school safety, and not scare them. It is being provided for schools to use as a recourse for their kids. Any school or organization can utilize this video as a tool in their classroom. Feel free to use the streaming link from YouTube, or download the file here.