New NCCPS Forum Report on Preventing Violence in Campus Communities

 

Today, we are pleased to release the report, The Roles and Strategies of Campus Safety Teams for Preventing Violence in College and University Campus Communities (PDF). College campuses have generally become safer places over the last 15 years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), but for some types of violent crimes, the numbers have risen in recent years. Between 2001 and 2015, the overall number of reported crimes on college and university campuses fell by 34 percent, but in 2014 and 2015 - the most recent data in the NCES report - crime reports rose 2 percent from 26,900 to 27,500. For some types of crime, the rise has been sharper. The number of reported forcible sex offenses on college campuses increased by 18 percent between 2014 and 2015, for example, and the number of reported murders was higher in 2015 than in 2001. Some of the rise may be due to changes in reporting requirements and other factors. However, the actual amount of violence occurring on college and university campuses may be much higher. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2016 only 42 percent of all violent crimes were reported to police.

 

In campus communities, a multitude of circumstances can raise the threat of violence. Some potential threats are common; others, such as protests and demonstrations, mental health crises, domestic or workplace disputes, or even crowded venues, may be more complex in campus communities. This prompted the following question:

 

"How can campus safety teams prevent violence in university and college communities?"

 

To address this question, a group of campus safety leaders, with support from the National Center for Campus Public Safety, gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina in July 2018 to discuss the challenges campus safety departments face and uncover promising practices for addressing them. Key questions during the event, which occurred during the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Law Enforcement Executives and Administrators 19th Annual Training Conference, included:

The questions sparked a critical discussion, and participants noted several factors that make violence prevention efforts at institutions of higher education unique. Download the full report (PDF) to read the promising strategic practices identified by participants that campus safety teams can implement to prevent violence in their campus communities. Please visit our  emerging issues forums web page to see reports on other important topics.

Marisa Randazzo Returns for An Advanced Threat Assessment Webinar

 

After our June 2018 threat assessment webinar with Marisa Randazzo, Ph.D. (PDF), we received many requests for a longer, more advanced webinar on this topic. We are delighted to bring Marisa back on November 13, 2018 at 2 PM ET for a 90-minute webinar, Next Steps for Campus Threat Assessment Teams through our free monthly webinar series, Campus Public Safety Online. This webinar will address common questions facing threat assessment teams such as: How do you measure if your team is functioning effectively? Is your team struggling with too many or few cases?

 

Marisa will cover a checklist of items that teams can consult to gauge their effectiveness and identify any areas where they may want to consider revising or enhancing their operations. She will identify tasks that an institution of higher education's general counsel or risk manager can undertake to help their threat assessment team's functionality. Finally, the webinar will conclude with a review of problems common to campus threat assessment teams and suggested solutions.

 

This intermediate/advanced webinar is appropriate for professionals in public safety and law enforcement, student affairs, counseling / EAP, human resources, emergency management, risk management, and general counsel. Those at the beginner level may also benefit from this information.

 

For more information and to register, please visit our website.

Behavioral Health Resource Kit Available from SAMHSA

 

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) prepared the Behavioral Health Among College Students Information & Resource Kit (PDF) for college and university prevention practitioners, health center staff, and administrators. The kit is an update to the information and resources originally published in 2001 and will make it easier for campus practitioners to locate materials relevant to prevention efforts targeting the college population. SAMHSA also encourages campus administrators and staff to share this document with local community partners who may assist with this important work.

 

The kit, which includes fact sheets, extensive resources, PowerPoint slides, and more, supports substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion initiatives on college and university campuses. Based on the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health for young adults aged 18-25, there is a growing need for campus-based behavioral health resources.

Increasing numbers of students and issues, social influences, consequences, and prevention strategies are highlighted in the overview and discussion that then leads into the following sections:

The final section contains web-based prevention resources from federal, nonprofit, and professional groups and a PowerPoint presentation with notes.

 

Hard copies of the kit can be ordered online from SAMHSA or downloaded for free.

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