Lewis University should have a system of spotting and reporting potential threats because not only can many lives be saved, but also further educate the university. Campus security can be alerted to report on threats; they will also investigate the report before they may act, depending on the level of the threat. Once the investigators realize there is a threat, they will act upon the report. The student will need to talk to someone about the threat. The student will initially have to take time to talk to the individual.
This is a common-sense approach to specific threats, such as someone making a specific statement of intended violence against an individual or the campus community. I wonder, though, about the wisdom of approaching the individual in question....as my class loves to say, "It depends." There would also be a big difference between "Hey, you're freaking us out and we're scared of you" and "Hey, are you ok? We care about you and are worried about you."
Here's another argument in favor of a less-draconian reporting policy than the one we have now:
The current Threat of Harm policy should be modified to be less severe and easier for students to use. The system should allow for anonymous texts reporting suspicious activity. People who may pose a potential threat may act in a manner to avoid detection, but paranoia may cause them to be identified more easily. Anyone who is found to have made a fraudulent charge of threat against an individual will be treated as though they were guilty of the same offense. The policy should be modeled on the U.S. Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Policy (SHARP). Above all, it should be emphasized that reporting threats is not the responsibility of any single person; no policy can be 100% effective, but, like drunk driving, incidents of threat and/or violence can be reduced. It's better to have such a policy in place and not need it than vice-versa.
I remember Illinois State University was working on a system to text Emergency Services while I was there, and 9-1-1 call centers are planning to implement this system as well.
Reporting behaviors that we are not accustomed to would potentially stop a bad situation from happening. Not every report will uncover a genuine threat, but at least if someone reports someone's suspicious behavior, someone could be having a hard time personally at home, and maybe that could potentially stop the threatening behavior. Privacy is an issue as well, and all reports should keep names of those accused private until all leads are sorted out. If a case is severe enough, require mandatory counseling [of the suspect] and take further action as necessary. Reports can be made via an anonymous tip line connected to campus police, or you can file a report with them directly.
And a final argument against:
Lewis University should not have a policy that asks students to spot and report threats. In many ways this can be detrimental to the learning environment, as well as the overall atmosphere of the campus. Lewis is blessed with diversity among its staff and students, which can account for many different behavior patterns that might be noticed. What specific traits or actions constitute a threat, as opposed to a person who is simply having a bad day? Once accused, innocent or not, the person's reputation is now shattered. Students begin to live in constant fear of being blamed for being "different," or accusing someone and eventually discovering that they weren't even remotely a threat.
Question of definition: What constitutes a "threat?" A verbal statement of desire or intent to harm, an online posting, physically aggressive behavior, or just a "gut feeling?" (How) are we going to distinguish between simple smack-talking and a credible threat?
Question of evaluation: Is this really the best way to prevent violence on campus before it occurs? How does this policy compare to similar policies in place at other schools?
Question of causation: What is the best possible outcome of such a policy? What is the worst?
Can you think of others? Leave them in the comments!
Supplemental reading: U.S. Schools Keep Trying Wrong Fixes to Deter School Shootings
