Student Assessment of Risk to Others (ARTO) and Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA)

The North Vancouver School District is committed to creating and maintaining school environments in which students, staff, parents/guardians/caregivers (“parents”), community members and others feel safe. Schools cannot ignore any threat of violence.

What is a threat?

A threat is an expression of intent to do harm or act out violently against someone or something. Threats may be verbal, written, drawn, posted on the internet, or made by gesture.

Duty to report

To keep school communities safe and caring, students, staff, parents and community members must report all risk/threat-related behaviours to the school principal.

What is the purpose of a student risk/threat assessment?

The purpose of a student risk/threat assessment is:

• To ensure and promote the emotional and physical safety of students, staff, parents, the student making the threat, and others.
• To ensure a full understanding of the context of the risk/threat.
• To understand the factors contributing to the person of concern’s (threat maker’s) behaviour.
• To be proactive in developing an intervention plan that addresses the emotional and physical safety of the person of concern.
• To promote the emotional and physical safety of all.

What behaviours warrant a student risk/threat assessment to be initiated?

A student risk/threat assessment will be initiated for behaviours including, but not limited to:

• Verbal/written threats to harm/kill others (“clear, direct and plausible”)
• Threats made via social media to harm, kill or cause serious property damage
• Serious violence or violence with intent to harm and/or kill
• Indicators of suicidal ideation as it related to fluidity (homicidal/suicidal)
• Weapon possession (including replicas)
• Bomb threats (or possession/detonation of devices)
• Hate incidents motivated by factors including but not limited to:
• Race
• Culture
• Religion and/or
• Sexual orientation
• Sexual intimidation, sextortion, extortion, or assault
• Domestic, interpersonal, relational violence
• Gang-related intimidation and violence
• Fire setting (contextual)
  

What do parents and students need to know?

• Any risk/threat must be reported to the school principal.
• Investigation may involve the student services counsellor, the police, or other community agencies.
• Investigation may involve locker or property searches.
• Interviews will be held with the person of concern and other students or adults who may have information about the risk/threat.
• Parents of students who are directly involved will be notified.
• Threatening behaviour may result in disciplinary action.
• An intervention plan may be developed for the student making the threat and a support plan developed for any individuals targeted by threats.
  

Collection notice

The school district is subject to personal information privacy laws and will undertake the collection of this information in compliance with the requirements of such laws, including by limiting collection to information that is relevant and necessary to address a risk or threat and by ensuring information is collected from publicly available open source social media sites. The school district will not collect information as part of a risk/threat assessment unless there is a reason to believe a risk/threat exists. Information collected as part of a risk/threat assessment may be provided to law enforcement authorities in appropriate circumstances.

NVSD Fair Notice Assessment of Risk Threat