School Violence Countermeasures: Toxic Personalities, Warning Signs, Imminent Warning Signs

An understanding of toxic personalities is essential to law enforcement, private security professionals, educators, mental health professionals, and the judicial system, especially in regard to violence prevention.

The book How to Deal with Toxic People identifies the problematic personality types as follows:

·       The Deceiver — one who habitually lies, which is part of a larger deceptive context. This personality type creates mistrust, chaos, and uncertainty.

·       The Control Freak — meddles manipulatively, dictatorial, and holds others to impossible standards. They drain others energy and seek to undermine the self-worth of others.

·       The Gaslighter — comes from a 1944 film “Gaslight,”  highlighting a manipulative spouse. A Gaslighter schemes to make the innocent party feel they are psychologically impaired.

·       The Angry Venter — treats others as verbal punching bags.

·       The Know-It-All — is right about everything, always in competition with others, and needs to win always. They seek to manipulate, mistreat and dominate.

·       The Intimidator — seeks control by issuing threats, sometimes with a bark and no bite, but can also back threats with actions.  They breed resentment, bitterness and anger.

·       The Egotist — their motto is “It’s all about me!” They crave, demand, and hog the spotlight, dominate conversations, and disregard the needs of others.

·       The Drama Queen or Crisis King — Every issue, even normal experiences is catastrophic. They need to be the center of the storm, whip up problems, and orchestrate emotional conflicts.

·       The Put-Down Artist — uses words, tone of voice and actions to degrade the value of others. They are often callous and insulting, using biting remarks, or sarcasm to diminish others.

·       The Moral Authority — pontificates to coerce compliance.

·       The Emotional Roller Coaster — takes others on mood swings to control.

·       The Pessimist — spreads discontent, and negativity like a contagious virus.

·       The Guilter — never able to apologize, but always blaming others for everything.

·       The Addict — dysfunctional due to addictions (substance abuse, gambling, alcoholism, etc.) and will say and do anything to cover their needs. This includes distorting truth and inventing false realities. [1]

A toxic personality does not definitively lead to acts of violence. Yet, understanding toxic personalities, especially when warning signs or imminent warning signs are identified, is pertinent. This understanding is beneficial to preventing violence and upholding civility in society.

Warning Signs, Timely Response

Understanding warning signs was memorialized in the government booklet Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools published by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). [2]

This booklet is a treasure trove for understanding and preventing school violence, yet its insights are still not appreciated.

The booklet punctuates that it is not always possible to predict violent behavior. However, the community can recognize early warning signs and provide intervention.

An abundance of caution is always the necessary approach to violence prevention. One should assume that warning signs, especially when numerous, indicate a need for a threat assessment.

All the USDOE warning signs are not equally significant. They are not listed by significance, and deserve contextual understanding. The USDOE early warning signs are as follows:

·       Social withdrawal

·       Excessive feelings of isolation and being alone

·       Excessive feelings of rejection

·       Being a victim of violence

·       Feelings of being picked on and persecuted

·       Low school interest/poor academic performance

·       Uncontrolled anger

·       Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating and bullying

·       Expression of violence in writings

·       History of discipline problems

·       Past history of violent aggressive behavior

·       Drug and alcohol use

·       Affiliation with gangs

·       Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes

·       Inappropriate access to, possession of and use of firearms

·       Serious threats of violence

Imminent Warning Signs

The Early Warning Timely Response booklet gives additional insights on each of these warning signs.

 It also highlights imminent warning signs as follows:

“Imminent warning signs indicate a student is very close to behaving in a way that is potentially dangerous to self/or to others.  Imminent warning signs require an immediate response.

“Imminent warning signs are usually presented as a sequence of overt, serious, hostile behaviors or threats directed at peers, staff or other individuals. Usually, imminent warning signs are evident to more than one staff member — as well as to the child’s family.”

Imminent warning signs according to the guide, may include;

·       Serious physical fighting with peers or family members.

·       Severe destruction of property.

·       Severe rage for seemingly minor reasons.

·       Detailed threats of lethal violence

·       Possession and/or use of firearms and other weapons.

·       Other self-injurious behaviors or threats of suicide.

When warning signs indicate a danger is imminent, safety must be first and foremost. The document stresses that “action must be taken immediately.” Immediate intervention by school authorities and law enforcement officers is needed when an individual:

·       “Has presented a detailed plan (time, place, method) to harm or kill others — particularly if the child has a history of aggression, or has attempted to carry out threat in the past.

·       Is carrying a weapon, particularly a firearm, and has threatened to use it.”

 

Countermeasures

Now that we have noted toxic personalities, warning signs, and imminent warning, let us focus on countermeasures. 

Here are six basic countermeasures to prevent school violence that deserve implementation:

1.      Security Vulnerability Assessment: The security vulnerability assessment (SVA) identifies and evaluates the vulnerabilities and strengths of schools. The primary concern of the SVA is the protection of lives. It should be conducted by a reputable board-certified protection professional. Each school has its own personality. Therefore, each SVA must be customized to properly diagnosis vulnerabilities and provide corrective measures.

2.      School resource officers (SRO’s) and School Safety Agents:  Schools deserve qualified, certified, and dedicated professionals. These individuals need a charisma that builds respect and trust with the entire school community.

3.       Preventive System of Education: In this system, educators are vigilant and exemplify encouragement through respect, courtesy, and reasonableness.  The preventive system builds trust with students, staff, and community.  It responds to concerns with measured interventions, not rigid repressiveness.

4.       Professional Development Programs: These programs are important for all staff members. Training must include coaches, parents, cafeteria personnel, SRO’s, security personnel, board of education members, mental health professionals, school crossing guards, bus drivers, parents, and students.

5.       Character Development Initiatives: Schools must provide the leadership to instill a culture of character. Developing students of character, built on pillars of honesty, civility, and patriotism must be paramount throughout America’s schools.

6.       Threat Assessment Teams: The threat assessment team requires a collaborative approach by numerous disciplines — including security, mental health, faculty, administration, and law enforcement.  Warning signs of violence demands immediate intervention.

Final Reflections

American schools must be fully dedicated to security principles, character education, and academic excellence.

When the community is vigilant with security concerns, inspires character through example, and encourages academic excellence, we will be on the path to transforming American schools.

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove is a national speaker, author, and confidant on issues critical to America with over 325 published works. 

His most recent of four books are Reawakening America © and Listen to Their Cries.© 

Bove is recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, former confidant of players from two world champion New York Yankee teams, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy victim’s families.

Bove is an author for the National Association of Chiefs of Police, with over 60 published works and an unprecedented 18 cover stories for their magazine. 

He also served the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association for 20 consecutive years as liaison and chairperson on policing leadership, violence prevention, and public safety issues.

For 20 years, Vincent served as a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Board Certified Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified Police Training Commission Instructor, Crime Prevention Practitioner, and USDOJ Certified Community Anti-Terrorism Instructor Trainer.

Bove is a licensed State of New Jersey / Division of State Police SORA Instructor, and founder of Reawakening America LLC.

Contact: vincent@vincentbove.com

PHOTOS:

1. Copy of article as published in the ASIS International NYC Chapter Security Director Magazine, Nov. 13, 2024 and available on line.  The magazine will be distributed hard copy to the association attendees at their annual trade show in November.

2. Vincent J. Bove conducting training for Port Authority Police Department sergeant’s prior to promotions to lieutenant, Oct. 20, 2015. (Courtesy PAPD)

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[1] How to Deal with Toxic People, Gregory L. Jantz, PhD with Keith Wall, Aspire Press, © 2021. Pgs. 12 — 38.

[2] https://www.schoolsafety.gov/resource/early-warning-timely-response-guide-safe-schools