With the seemingly ever-increasing propensity for America's
youth to resort to violence to resolve conflict—real or
imagined—school administrators are collectively searching for
guidance in preventing violence before it occurs. In response, the
U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)
recently release a valuable guide to assist school
administrators in reducing the prevalence of targeted violence
within their schools.
Although there is no typical "profile" of a student
attacker, there are certain behaviors and environmental factors
that can be used to identify students at risk of engaging in acts
of violence at school. Assessing a student's risk of committing
acts of violence requires teachers and administrators to look
beyond the student's personality or academic performance to
focus on actual communication and behaviors of the student. When
viewed in conjunction with a student's ongoing life experiences
and the availability or lack of resources
