School-based risk assessments: A conceptual framework and model for professional practice

The school-based risk assessment evolved from concerns about the presumed prevalence of children and adolescents willing to plan and commit serious violence at school. This article describes a pragmatic and clinical approach to school violence that addresses both dangerousness and threat assessments. Following a brief review of juvenile crime and the rare instances of school shootings, the article outlines a best-practice approach for school-based risk assessment. It explores the type of youngsters seen in these evaluations and stresses case management over predictive accuracy. With few exceptions, youths referred for school-based risk assessments need services and support rather than punishment, with interventions aimed at helping them to function more effectively.