The RAND analysis offers several recommendations to administrations working to make students and staff more comfortable about reporting threats:

Give teachers and staff more opportunities to interact informally with groups of students outside the classroom.
Conduct regular training and outreach so students know what to report and when and how they should report their concerns.
Training materials should be tailored to specific school contexts and groups of students. Students can also conduct outreach to encourage their more reluctant peers to report threats.
Set up reporting systems that are widely accessible to students and other community members.
Alert users of anonymous reporting systems when their anonymity could be forfeited. Or, schools using confidential systems could collect reporter information but keep it private.
Specialized staff should be available to support people reporting suicidal ideation or self-harm.
Publish regular reports to increase transparency around critical issues, such as when information is shared with law enforcement and when situations are left exclusively to school administrators.
Offer clear guidance and training so staff know their roles in the reporting process. Also, provide staff with teaching materials to increase students’ knowledge about reporting.
Train security personnel to work and communicate effectively with the school community.

Ultimately, students are more willing to report threats if they see that administrators take the information seriously and school rules are enforced fairly and consistently. Communicating what happens when threat reports are received is critical to assuaging students’ fears about reporting, the report says.

Instant Insights /

9 ways school leaders can encourage students to report violent threats

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