8410 - EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF VIOLENCE

Single word communities like, Jonesboro, Arkansas; Pearl, Mississippi; Conyers, Georgia; Santee, California; and Littleton, Colorado, the home of Columbine High School, remind every parent, teacher, student, and administrator that communities have to work hard to prevent violence on the campus.

When a student commits a violent act at school, everyone in the school community ask certain questions over and over. Did the child do or say anything that should have alerted us to an impending crisis? Did we miss an opportunity to help?

According to the document Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, prepared by U.S. Department of Education, there are some early warning signs in most cases of violence – certain behavioral and emotional signs that, when viewed in context, can signal a troubled child. Some early warning signs include:

1. Social withdrawal.

2. Excessive feelings of isolation or rejection.

3. Being a victim of violence.

4. Feelings of being picked on and persecuted.

5. Low school interest and poor academic performance.

6. Expressions of violence in writings and drawings.

7. Uncontrolled anger.

8. Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behaviors.

9. History of discipline problems.

10. History of violent and aggressive behavior.

11. Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes.

12. Drug or alcohol use.

13. Affiliation with gangs.

14. Inappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearms.

Unlike early warning signs, imminent warning signs indicate that a student is very close to behaving in a way that is potentially dangerous to self and/or to others. Imminent warning signs may include:

1. Serious physical fighting with peers or family members.

2. Severe destruction of property.

3. Severe rage for seemingly minor reasons.

4. Detailed threats of lethal violence.

5. Possession and/or use of firearms and other weapons.

6. Self-injurious behaviors or threats of suicide.

When warning signs indicate that danger is imminent, safety must always be the first consideration. Action must be taken immediately by school officials and possibly law enforcement officers when a child:

1. has presented a detailed plan (time, place, method) to harm or kill others – particularly if the child has a history of aggression or has attempted to carry out threats in the past.

2. is carrying a weapon, particularly a firearm, and has threatened to use it.

It is important to remember that early warning signs (as opposed to imminent danger signs) are simply indicators that a student may need help. School-site staff and others must avoid inappropriately labeling individual students because they appear to fit a stereotype. Early Warning, Timely Response offers the following caveats:

1. Do no harm. First and foremost, the intent should be to get help for a child early. The early warning signs should not be used as a rationale to exclude, isolate, or punish a child. Do to use it as a checklist for formally identifying, mislabeling, or stereotyping children.

2. Avoid stereotypes. Be aware of false cues – including race, socioeconomic status, cognitive or academic ability, or physical appearance.

3. View warning signs within a developmental context. Children and youth at different levels of development have varying social and emotional capabilities. They may express their needs differently in elementary, middle, and high school.

4. Understand that troubled children typically exhibit multiple warning signs, and with increasing intensity over time.

Finally, it is important that school communities use their knowledge of early warning signs to address problems before they escalate into violence. School leaders and community members should encourage others to raise concerns about observed early warning signs and to report all observations of imminent danger signs immediately.

In situations where students exhibit threatening behaviors:

1. Parents should be involved as soon as possible. Inform parents of your concerns immediately, and listen to them when early warning signs are observed. Parents need to know what school-based interventions are being used with their children, and how they can support their success.

2. Seek assistance from appropriate agencies, such as child and family services and community mental health centers. Eligible students should have access to special education services, and classroom teachers should be able to consult school psychologists, other mental health specialists and counselors.

3. Simplify staff requests for urgent assistance. Children who are at risk of endangering themselves or others cannot be put on waiting lists.

4. When determining an appropriate course of action, consider the child’s age, cultural background, and family experiences and values. Decisions about interventions should be measured against a standard of reasonableness to ensure the likelihood that they will be implemented effectively.

The District encourages staff, families, and students to raise concerns about observed warning signs so we all can help to reduced disruption, bullying, fighting, and other forms of aggression in our schools and in the community.

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools offers a wealth of material designed to help school communities identify early warning signs. The full text of this publication is available on-line from the U.S. Department of Education at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html.

If you want more information about early warnings, please contact your principal or call the Office of District and School Security, 633- 1000 ext. 233.

Technical Change 1/17/08

© Brevard County Public Schools 2008