What is a Behavioral Threat Assessment?

A Behavioral Threat Assessment is the process of analyzing patterns of behavior and communication to determine whether a person, group, or situation poses a threat of violence to another person or organization. Among the resources available to your organization, through Priority Protection Group, is the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk (WAVR-21). We are certified in the use and application of this tool for the benefit of our clients. WAVR-21 is a Structured Professional Judgement (SPJ) tool that ensures we use the same metrics to assess situations and levels of concern for any situations that include potential for threats of violence in the workplace, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions. 

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We have two services we can offer your organization:

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1. Conducting Behavioral Threat Assessments

As needed, Priority Protection Group can conduct behavioral threat assessments for your organization. PPG is here to help organizations identify, assess, and manage these challenging situations and individuals in which there is potential for people to cause violence to themselves or others.

 

Common situations where Behavioral Threat Assessments are needed/recommended include but are not limited to:

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• Stalking

• Domestic Violence carried over to a place of employment

• High-risk Termination

• Threat of Violence to self or others

• Leakage (indicating, through social media, writings, or conversations, a desire or plans to commit a violent act)

 

2. Creating a Threat Assessment Team in Your Organization

Priority Protection Group can also help your organization create a multi-disciplinary team that works together to monitor and mitigate threats through analysis of behavior and communication, context in which they occur, and circumstances surrounding the parties involved. These teams should reside within an organization and they should leverage the perspectives, experience, judgement, confidentiality, and compassion of the intentionally selected team members.

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Priority Protection Group will train the team to manage the BTAM functions internally and independently.  We instruct the team on their purpose, procedures, and culture, as well as how to effectively work with partners in law enforcement, security, and mental health. A member of the PPG team will remain a consulting member of the BTAM team in order to provide additional threat assessment and management expertise.

 

The PPG team member also guides the organization in refining policies and procedures to support employees who may be targeted, empower employees to speak up when they see or hear concerning behavior or communications, and provide necessary resources to those who are demonstrating such concerning behaviors.​

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Behavioral Threat Assessments: Our Most Valuable Prevention Strategy

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As it pertains to preventing assailants from carrying out violent attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said the following. "...By far the most valuable prevention strategy identified was the threat assessment and management team. The good news is that every organization and community has the potential to stand up or access such a team."(Making Prevention a Reality, FBI, 2017)

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Violence and crime are best prevented through the implementation of multiple layers of security. For this reason, Priority Protection Group recommends a multi-layered security plan to include prevention efforts through Employee Security Awareness Training, improving company policies and procedures, and Armed Security Officers in order to make room in the organization's culture for true Workplace Peace of Mind.

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If you are interested in having PPG perform a Behavioral Threat Assessment and/or help you create a BTAM Team within your organization, contact us here or book an appointment to begin a threat assessment.