National Threat Assessment Center Releases Report on Preventing Mass Violence
The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NATC) released a comprehensive report on mass violence over a five-year period. Mass Attacks in Public Spaces: 2016-2020 is called the most comprehensive report to date on the mass violence (defined as attacks where three or more people, including the attacker, were harmed).
The report is intended to improve prevention efforts and support the establishment of multi-disciplinary behavioral threat assessment programs, which the report says are critical to reducing the threat of mass violence. It also recommends that public safety resources be directed to address potential threats.
“Far too often, communities and families have been devastated by the impact of these tragedies, and public safety professionals continue to work toward preventing future attacks. The information revealed in this report is intended to guide those prevention efforts,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
In its executive summary, NATC concludes that “targeted violence is preventable when communities are equipped with the appropriate tools, training, and resources to intervene before violence occurs.”
The report examined 173 incidents of targeted violence during the years 2016-2020. The incidents happened in public or semi-public spaces including businesses, schools, houses of worship, open spaces, and other locations.
The report closely examined the perpetrators in each attack, including background, motivation, and behavior before the attack. The report also searched for commonalities between the perpetrators.
It found that while no two attackers are alike, there are common themes in their pre-attack behavior.
The report found that the perpetrators shared some key characteristics:
Most had exhibited behavior that concerned family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and others. In many cases, those individuals feared for their safety.
Many attackers had a history of intimidating or physically aggressive behaviors.
Half were motivated by grievances.
Most used firearms, many of which were possessed illegally, for the attack.
One-quarter subscribed to views involving hateful ideologies or conspiracies.
Many attackers spoke of stressful events in their lives including family, financial, legal, and other issues. In some cases, a specific event triggered the attack.
Over half had mental health symptoms including depression and psychotic symptoms.
Preventing Future Attacks by Identifying Behavior
The report mentions that using behavioral threat assessment is a “proactive and preventive approach” to identify and intervene with individuals at risk of engaging in targeted violence. The assessments can “identify, assess, and intervene” with individuals who show threatening or concerning behaviors or indicate they pose harm to either themselves or others.
Besides behavioral threat assessments, additional solutions are recommended:
Encouraging bystander reporting programs.
Early intervention after a threat is made, instead of waiting for a specific threat.
Law enforcement should be made aware of Individuals who display an unusual interest in violent topics.
Businesses should consider workplace violence prevention plans to identify current or former employees or customers/vendors who may pose a risk.
Public safety personnel should consider strategies for resolving personal grievances.
Individuals charged with protecting the public must understand the impact of violent and hateful speech while balancing that with the First Amendment right to free speech.
Misogyny and domestic violence deserve more attention from those tasked with preventing mass violence.
The public must be encouraged to report threatening, concerning, and violent content on online platforms.
Immediate intervention for individuals sharing final communications, including suicide notes and manifestos.
Identifying appropriate resources for community members struggling with mental health issues.
Ensuring that weapons are not possessed illegally.
“We encourage our public safety partners to review the information within this report and apply it to their own practices for providing a safe environment in communities across the country,” said Director Cheatle.