Threat Assessment and Targeted Violence

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, cases, and terms related to threat assessment, targeted violence, and the Columbine case study from the lecture transcript.

Targeted Violence

A type of violence where a specific plan exists to perpetrate the act against a target, as opposed to an impulsive or purely indiscriminate action.

Pathway to Violence

The planning process leading up to a targeted violent act, during which indicators can potentially be recognized to allow for early intervention.

Metzky

An individual who held a long-standing grievance against Con Ed and spent years planning, preparing, and planting bombs to make a point.

Leakage

Little pieces of concerning information or expressions of intent that seep out from an individual to mental health professionals or everyday people before a violent act occurs.

Person of Concern Form

A reporting form used on campus by students, faculty, and staff to report individuals who may pose a danger to themselves or others, or who are experiencing mental health issues.

Poddar Case

A case where an individual expressed concerning intent to a psychologist, leading to law enforcement involvement and questions regarding whether intervention might escalate risk.

Threat Assessment

A process that includes evaluating initial gut feelings, examining available information, and conducting interviews to evaluate whether an individual poses a risk of committing targeted violence.

Columbine High School

The site of an April 20, 1999 shooting in Littleton, Colorado, where two students killed 12 peers and one teacher before dying by suicide.

Trench Coat Mafia

A group of high school friends who played Dungeons & Dragons, who were incorrectly characterized by early media reports as an organized gang of outcast killers.

Dave Cullen

An author who spent nearly ten years researching police records and journals to write an account of the Columbine shooting, concluding it was primarily a failed bombing motivated by malice and aggrandizement rather than bullying.

John Savage

A member of the Trench Coat Mafia who publicly stated that killers Eric and Dylan were not part of their group or activities.

Eric and Dylan

The two student perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School attack, whose motives were described by researcher Dave Cullen as a cocktail of malice, self-loathing, and craving for fame.