This unique 3-day course will prepare the experienced crisis negotiator to deal with the very contemporary and relevant topic of adolescents who present a threat in a school environment by taking hostages or attempting to commit suicide.

We will explore historical school violence trends throughout the U.S. and the role law enforcement plays in mitigating threats. In the review of previous incidents of school violence, we are able to identify common behavioral and motivational factors as well as the role of mental illness and suicidal intent.

As an important aspect of pre-incident planning, you will learn how to work collaboratively with school officials when organizing a school response. Schools have well-established plans and procedures for responding to threats and it is important to understand the importance of a collaborative response.

To better understand how negotiators must coordinate their efforts with first responders and tactical teams, you will receive an overview of the tactical response in a school environment.

Adolescents experience mental health issues unique to their emotional and sociological development and you will learn how these issues differ from those of an adult. You will also gain a basic understanding of the psychological motivations of an adolescent in crisis and learn to recognize the characteristics of an emotionally disturbed youth.

A suicidal adolescent who makes a decision to commit suicide at school presents a risk to both peers and faculty. You will learn to identify indicators of the immediacy of suicide intent as well as procedures for ensuring the safety of others.

The “Rampage School Shooter” will begin with a discussion of the “Pathway to Intended Violence” and how the “Rampage School Shooter” compares to Workplace Violence and incidents involving a “Violent True Believer”.  We will also discuss the psychological and sociological aspects of the “Rampage School Shooter” with special emphasis on mental health factors, communication and de-escalation techniques.

The course will culminate with one of the program’s most challenging scenario-driven practical exercises allowing you to refine your negotiation team work as well as your own personal negotiation skills.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

History of School Violence in the United States
Pre-incident Planning for the School Response
Overview of the Tactical Response
Adolescent Mental Health
Adolescent Suicide
Responding to the “Rampage School Shooter”

PREREQUISITES:

You must be a sworn member of law enforcement or juvenile corrections, a non-law enforcement member of a crisis negotiation team, a mental health professional or a clergy member supporting law enforcement or school activities, a school resource officer, or a member of a school staff assigned duties to a crisis incident response team and have successfully completed CSM’s Crisis Hostage Negotiations – Level I (Basic) course, or an equivalent 40-hour crisis negotiation course, to attend this class. Requests for exceptions must be submitted and approved by the course director.

NOTE: This course alone does not meet state and federal training requirements for crisis-hostage negotiator certification; however, it is intended as an advanced/refresher for previously trained and experienced negotiators.