Threat Assessment
School Safety is everyone's responsibility, and it must be the number one priority in Florida Schools.
Schools are confronted with a variety of potential threats and concerning behaviors that must be evaluated and responded to in order to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff. The Florida Threat Management process is in place to help keep your child and their school community safe. It’s a careful and thoughtful approach that allows schools to recognize early signs of concern, provide the right support, and prevent situations from escalating. By working together with families, schools can respond in a calm, caring, and proactive way—always putting student well-being and safety first.
The Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model
‘The goal of all school safety efforts is to prevent violence or harm to members of the school community. Threat management uses a methodology that identifies students exhibiting threatening or other concerning behavior, gathers information to assess the risk of harm to themselves or others, and identifies appropriate interventions to prevent violence and promote successful outcomes. The process applies a non-punitive assessment to distinguish between innocuous and serious situations. The aim of the threat management process is to intervene at the earliest stage to provide assistance to students and to alter or disrupt concerning behavior for the benefit of the student and school.’
- The Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Manual, 2023
The Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model shows that effective threat assessment is embedded in MTSS, where collaborative partnerships focus on prevention not just reaction, and best practices emphasize early intervention and risk reduction. In addition, mental health plays a critical role in effectively managing concerning behaviors within schools. Prioritizing mental health and safety in schools creates a positive feedback loop: when students feel mentally well, they are more likely to engage in safe behaviors, and when schools prioritize safety, students’ mental well-being improves.
Today, more than ever, our goal is to create a safe and supportive environment for out students while addressing prospective dangers and other concerning behaviors.
Section 1001.212(12), Florida Statutes
The full text of the revised statute can be found on the Florida Legislature's website.