2024 Whitepaper: NABITA Standards for School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K-12 Education

To support the overall safety and well-being of school communities, the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) provides school-based behavioral threat assessment and management standards as proactive best practices for K-12 schools and districts. To that end, this newly revised whitepaper, NABITA Standards for School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K-12 Education (NABITA BTAM Standards for K-12), includes new standards addressing emerging needs for schools, such as recommended practices for receiving referrals of concerning behavior, addressing cases comprehensively and holistically, and ensuring program effectiveness.

The NABITA School-Based BTAM Standards provide a framework for a school’s behavioral threat assessment and management work. NABITA does not intend the standards to be rigid or inflexible and anticipates that schools and districts will adapt these standards based on available resources, community needs, climate, and culture. Ultimately, these standards act as a guide for a school assessing and improving current BTAM practices.

NABITA leads the field in providing comprehensive training and support for school administrators engaged in behavioral intervention and threat assessment efforts. NABITA aspires to guide K-12 practitioners to establish and/or improve their school policies, processes, and procedures in support of their communities. NABITA provides additional tools for violence risk assessments, benchmarking surveys, training at national events, and customized content for a school district’s specific needs. NABITA first published standards for behavioral threat assessment and management in 2018, which are now followed by thousands of schools across the U.S. Six years later, NABITA has evolved and enhanced its framework to reflect the latest research and practices in the field.