Threat assessment team

Douglas College has established a multi-disciplinary Threat Assessment Team (TAT) to determine how best to intervene and support an individual whose behaviour has or may become violent, and ensure the safety of members of the campus community.  The TAT will conduct a Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) to assess, investigate and determine an appropriate level of response to reports of behaviours of concern including threats with the potential to result in harm to one or more members of the campus community.  The TAT works collaboratively with the College’s Behaviour Intervention Team (BIT), and where a VTRA indicates a person is a low level of risk for violence, the case may be referred to the BIT for College supports, monitoring and case management.  

Reporting

Members of the College Community may report behaviours of potential concern to the TAT by contacting Campus Securities, the Director SSRM, the Director SAS, or the Responsible Administrator for the unit. All reports of concerns will be handled in a confidential manner.  In situations where there is a clear, direct and plausible threat or an immediate threat of injury towards any member of the campus community or the campus community at large, or violence resulting in injury, violence involving weapons or theft of property or violence otherwise requiring immediate emergency response, campus security and local police must be notified immediately.

BIT-TAT Flow Chart

Behaviours of potential concern 

Behaviours of potential concern are those that may indicate that an individual is moving toward a greater risk of harm towards self or others.

Examples of these behaviours may include, but are not limited to:

  • Acts of violence;
  • Threats; 
  • Stalking;
  • Excessive or intimidating expressions of violence, death or weapons in drawings, artwork, writings, spoken words, videos, personal websites or blogs; 
  • Homicidal/suicidal expressions, actions or gestures;
  • Weapons (or replica weapons) on campus or recent acquisition of firearms; 
  • Fascination or preoccupation with violence, themes of violence, or weapons;
  • Expressions of approval of the use of violence to resolve conflict and identification with perpetrators of violence; 
  • Excessive or intimidating references to workplace or campus violence incidents or other mass murders;
  • Belligerent or angry outbursts, uncontrolled anger for seemingly minor reasons, depression;
  • Expressions of extreme anger towards self, students, employees or Douglas College; 
  • Sudden irrational ideas/beliefs;
  • Indications of hatred towards any particular group;
  • Statements expressing a strong sense of marginalization caused by others which may include elaborate plans for revenge; 
  • Excessive blaming of others;
  • Injustice collector, resentment over real or perceived injustices;
  • Social withdrawal and isolation from family and friends; 
  • Drastic changes in behaviour including absenteeism, mood swings, diminished self care and personal hygiene; 
  • Drastic changes in academic or work performance;
  • Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse; 
  • Numerous conflicts with supervisors, other students or employees; 
  • Exposure to and/or involvement in violence or bullying.