A Proportional Response to Threats of Violence by Elementary and Secondary School Students
- Public Conference (to be conducted in French)
- Register now!
For safety reasons, school authorities often use out-of-school suspension or transfer when students make threats of violence or act in ways that suggest they pose a danger to others. However, educational research has found that school removal is not an effective strategy and can be over-used on students who did not pose a serious threat. Professor Cornell of the University of Virginia will present a protocol widely used by school staff in U.S. and Canadian schools to conduct assessments that distinguish serious threats from threats that are not serious and to respond proportionally based on the circumstances and context of the student’s behavior. Research conducted in more than 4,000 schools has found this protocol to be a safe and effective way to respond to student threats and to focus on providing support services for students rather than removing them from school.
Moving Beyond a Zero-Tolerance Policy on Threats of Violence: Challenges and Benefits
- Invitation-only workshop
Removing students from school for any threatening statement or behavior may seem like the safest option. However, when applied indiscriminately, zero-tolerance policies can lead to significant negative consequences, including increased school failure and dropout rates. In this workshop, Professor Cornell from the University of Virginia will lead a discussion and answer questions about the challenges faced by school-based teams using a structured protocol to assess the severity of threats and implement proportional responses, ensuring the safety of students and staff without resorting to blanket expulsions.
