As reported by K-12 Dive, according to data recently released by the National Center for Education Statistics during the 2023-24 school year about 85% of schools maintained a behavioral threat assessment team to identify students at potential risk for violent or harmful behavior toward themselves or others, which is up from 82% of schools during the 2022-23 school year. The Midwest reported the lowest level of behavioral threat assessment teams in the 2023-24 school year, at 81%, and schools in the South had the highest at 88%. Of the schools with such teams, 71% had identified students at potential risk to themselves, and 49% had identified students at potential risk to others, according to the survey data collected in April.
Several experts and organizations, including the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), recommend schools have threat assessment teams to help prevent school violence or student self-harm. Nine states required school threat assessment teams as of January 2024, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Experts also recommended several best practices, including having a special education professional on the team and training team members to understand there is no certain profile of a student who can cause harm.
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