Violence Threat Risk Assessment
A Violence Threat Risk Assessment is a process of determining if a threat maker actually poses a risk to the target(s) being threatened. The District Threat Assessment Protocol requires district staff trained in assessing threat-making behaviour to conduct an investigation to determine any risk involving a student who has made a threat; whether the potential risk is to others or to the student themselves.
Fair Notice: Each school in our district has a Threat Assessment Team that includes the principal/vice-principal, a counsellor, a resource teacher, a police officer and the district student services staff. In the most extreme cases, other Ministries may also be involved (e.g. Ministry of Children and Family Development and Fraser Health Authority). The purpose of the Threat Assessment Team is to promote the emotional and physical safety of all in the school and closely assess the threat-maker’s behaviour so that an intervention plan can be developed and implemented.
Part of the threat assessment process includes data collection. The School District is subject to personal information and privacy laws and will undertake the collection of this information in compliance with the requirements of such laws, including by limiting collection to information that is relevant and necessary to address a risk or threat and by ensuring that information collected from online sources is only obtained from open source sites. The School District will not collect information as part of a threat assessment unless there is reason to believe a threat exists. Information collected as part of a threat assessment may be provided to law enforcement authorities in appropriate circumstances.
In the interest of a safe and secure learning environment, threat assessments will be conducted whenever required, with or without the consent of the threat-maker and/or their parents.
To read the most up-to-date version of the District Threat Assessment Protocol Fair Notice: https://newwestschools.ca/district-threat-assessment-protocol-fair-notice/
