Twenty Recent Studies Put School Threat Assessment to the Test

School shootings have left safety at the center of government policy. Government policy has leaned heavily toward tougher security controls. Student support and early prevention have drawn much less focus. Behavioral threat assessment and management, usually called BTAM, is now widely used in schools across the United States and Canada. It reviews behavior, possible threats, and support needs. The method is also tied to nonpunitive, supportive practices. That creates a political clash. Critics on both the left and right question the role of law enforcement in schools and the use of nonpunitive support. An important question follows: How can a school respond to danger while still meeting students' needs?

Twenty studies published since 2022 offer fresh evidence about BTAM. The research spans multiple states rather than a single setting. Across the studies, researchers documented typical referral rates. Violence after a threat assessment was uncommon. The records also show which support services students received. Earlier literature had backed BTAM only with caution. It called for evidence from schools beyond Virginia and for closer study of results and fairness. The newer findings address those gaps. They also counter several political objections by showing how the process works in practice.

One clear pattern involved discipline. Schools using BTAM reported low levels of student exclusion. Arrests associated with the approach were also uncommon. Equity was another focus. Researchers found little or no disparity linked to race or ethnicity, family income, or disability status. These results matter because BTAM was linked to neither heavy punishment nor unequal treatment. The evidence supports BTAM as a low-risk, equitable, and effective part of school safety work. It also strengthens the case for giving prevention a central role in safety planning.

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