Why do people threaten violence against schools? WVU expert weighs in

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Nearly 50 threats at schools across West Virginia as well as some in neighboring states were reported this week.

According to the West Virginia Department of Education , “none of the multiple threats made this week have been deemed credible,” but multiple arrests were made, including in the cases of Preston High School , Sissonville Middle School, DuPont Middle School, Chapmanville Regional High School , and Weir Middle School .

An expert in violence prevention at West Virginia University thinks that all schools in the state and beyond should have required in-school threat assessment teams to help with situations like many schools experienced this week. Only nine states require schools to have threat assessment teams, and West Virginia is not one of them.

In a press release , West Virginia University professor of counseling Jeff Daniels said that he believes all schools should be required to have such teams, which are trained to identify students at risk of committing violence and respond to warning signs and threats.

He explained that there are “dozens of reasons” that someone might threaten school violence. He listed “wanting respect, to be taken seriously or, in some cases, getting out of a test or assignment when the school shuts down,” as a few possible reasons.

Daniels said that “low-level” or “medium-level” threats that are vague and lack details and planning are pretty common.

“One study in Virginia schools found over 1,000 threats made in one year. Of these, only a handful were serious,” Daniels said.

Having threat assessment teams allows some low-level threats to be handled without law enforcement involvement. Some courses of action that threat assessment teams might take include:

1. Assessing the student’s baseline behavior. If the threat is anomalous, more direct action may be necessary.
2. Informally monitoring (for a low-level or veiled threat).
3. Engaging third-party mediators such as counselors and resource officers.
4. Engaging in direct interventions, such as removal from the school or involving the police.
5. Direct interventions with authorities, including arrest.

In cases where the person behind the threat is unknown or the threat is serious, law enforcement would take over the investigation.

The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security is creating a task force to address concerns related to the threats.

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