School shootings have a tremendous impact on students, staff, parents and the entire campus community. They are the ultimate destructive intrusion on the right and expectation of every student, professor or staff member that they live, study and work in a safe community environment. But that expectation has been shattered all too often, in the aftermath of the shooting incidents as recently as the massacre at Virginia Tech University, to one at the University of Arizona, and all the way back to the Texas university shooting years ago. These – and shootings at high schools in the U.S. have resulted in over 240 school-associated violent deaths.

They have received extensive media coverage and created lasting impressions of horror and revulsion worldwide. They puncture the innocence of learning, impact children for years to come and present legal and insurance liability challenges to cash strapped school districts that are difficult to fund.

Although school shootings have often been described as occurring "out of the blue" or as “impulsive,” in fact this is rarely the case.  From a major federal study of school shootings throughout the United States, we now know that school attacks are typically thought out and planned in advance, and that other people often know of the planning.  Because of this, we believe that some school shootings can be prevented -- but only if you know what to look for and how to act on your observations. Dr. Marisa Reddy Randazzo, noted authority on school and campus violence, teaches this introductory course so you can effectively participate in preventing tragedies in your – or your child’s - school.

The Risks

Many colleges and universities have policies and procedures that deal with violent events. But these are often perfunctory, outdated, poorly understood and not recently exercised. Many have no foundation in our latest knowledge base developed from analysis of case files and from direct interviews with incarcerated shooters. These plans are often solely reactive.

They sometimes do not adequately address the prevention and mitigation aspects of these incidents – how to recognize the signs of a troubled student or staff member BEFORE the fact, and develop a sound process to systemically identify and escalate the signs and threatening behavior so trained authorities can intercede before a tragedy. The level of exposure to the risk of tragic campus violence creates concerns about the potential insurance and legal liability faced by institutions, as well as the potential negative impact of a tragedy on their reputation, the image of their host town or city and the challenge to the school’s ability to attract students and grow endowments.

Understanding School Shootings – an eLearning Course

Risk Solutions International and Blue Water Partners Global have developed the Understanding School Shootings eLearning course with Dr. Marisa Reddy Randazzo, renowned expert in school and campus violent behavior assessment and management. Understanding School Shootings is for anyone interested in “best practices” and perspectives around these incidents and in trying to prevent these tragedies.  The course is designed to give you better insight into the school shootings that have occurred in the United States over the past 30 years.  Understanding how these attacks have been carried out, and what behaviors school shooters typically show in advance of their attacks, is a vital first step toward prevention.  Through this course, you will learn what those behaviors are and what schools, campuses, communities, and individuals can do if they observe similar behavior in a student they know.

Understanding School Shootings is part of an upcoming series of courses hosted by Dr. Randazzo, including the follow-on course - Threat Assessment for Schools and Universities - and Improving Child Safety.

Who Should Take the Course

This is an introductory survey course, based on Dr. Randazzo’s years in law enforcement and her ongoing consulting practice. It is ideal for all types and levels of staff who regularly communicate, observe and interact with students and other staff members – professors, lecturers and instructors; advisors, mentors and guidance counselors; residence advisors; security professionals including campus police, security officers and guards; and administrative personnel. Because case studies show that parents – exacerbated by their physical separation - are often as unprepared as campus officials to acknowledge the warning signs in their kids’ behavior, they should also consider taking the course. Understanding School Shootings won’t make you a “profiler”…. but it will fascinate you and teach you to notice and think about the warning signs. And it may startle you about how much you can help through sound observation, good judgment and utilizing your institution’s process to record your assessment, escalate it appropriately and participate in any intervention that officials determine may be necessary.

About the Instructor - Unparalleled Expertise

Dr. Marisa Reddy Randazzo, a Senior Expert for Risk Solutions International, provides research, consultation, and training on threat assessment, school threat management, and bomb threat assessment for corporations, schools, law enforcement agencies, private security services, and mental health professionals.  Dr. Randazzo spent ten years with the U.S. Secret Service, where she served as the agency’s Chief Research Psychologist andoversaw Secret Service behavioral and operational research on assassination, stalking, and other types of targeted violence, including a national study of school shootings that was conducted jointly by the Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education.  Dr. Randazzo is recognized internationally as an expert on school shootings and school threat assessment.  She is also an accomplished presenter and instructor on threat assessment investigations, having trained over 10,000 law enforcement, intelligence, and security professionals throughout the United States, Canada, and the European Union.  Her research is used throughout the federal, state, and local law enforcement communities and has been credited in the media with preventing planned attacks.  Dr. Randazzo has testified before Congress, briefed Cabinet Secretaries and White House staff, and been interviewed by various major television, radio, and print news outlets for her work on targeted violence and threat assessment. She has published numerous articles on threat assessment and violence prevention and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Threat Assessment.  Dr. Randazzo received a Ph.D. and Master’s degree from Princeton University in Social Psychology, and a B.A. in Psychology and Religion, with honors, from Williams College.  In 2005, Dr. Randazzo was named by Williams College as a Bicentennial Medal recipient for her work in preventing violence.