SRO Threat Assessment & Prevention 3

Question 1

An SRO receives a tip that a student made an online post saying 'everyone at this school will pay on Friday.' What is the FIRST action the SRO should take?

Accepted Answer

Gather more information, secure the tip, and initiate a threat assessment

Answer

The first step is to gather information and initiate a formal threat assessment process before determining the appropriate response.

Question 2

Which threat category typically involves a general, non-specific statement such as 'Someone should blow up this school'?

Accepted Answer

Indirect threat

Answer

An indirect threat is vague and does not identify a specific target, method, or timeline, unlike a direct or conditional threat.

Question 3

In threat assessment, the term 'fixation' refers to:

Accepted Answer

An increasingly pathological preoccupation with a person or cause

Answer

Fixation is an escalating preoccupation — often with an individual, ideology, or grievance — that can signal movement along the pathway to violence.

Question 4

When conducting a threat assessment interview with a potentially dangerous student, the SRO should:

Accepted Answer

Interview the student in a private setting with another trained professional present

Answer

Best practice calls for two trained professionals to be present during threat assessment interviews, conducted in a private, non-threatening setting.

Question 5

The Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (VSTAG) distinguish between 'transient' and 'substantive' threats. A transient threat is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

An expression of frustration or anger with no true intent to harm

Answer

Transient threats are expressions of anger (e.g., 'I want to kill him') that, when investigated, reveal no genuine intent to harm and can be resolved through brief intervention.

(SRO) School Resource Officer Certification Practice Test

(SRO) School Resource Officer Certification Practice Test

SRO Threat Assessment & Prevention 3