How seriously do you take a threat that you're going to get stabbed?

People say lots of things in the heat of the moment, when they are frustrated or angry and make threats of violence towards whoever is providing a blocker to their goal or desires.

When it’s someone you know well and you know that there are issues going on in their lives and generally they are a well demeanoured person, it would be seen as extreme, out of character and unwarranted and unacceptable and the threat may be perceived as contextualised and maybe a low level because it is out of the norm, albeit it is still a criminal offence.

But what if the young person in question has a history of volatility and unpredictability? An aggressive streak that comes out when frustrated or challenged? What if they create such a degree of uncertainty and unpredictability around them with their verbal abuse and physicality that adults are unsure around them? How real is the threat then that you may be stabbed in the future on their next visit to school as they have promised?

Risk assessing such a risk is a risk in itself. It’s a high price to pay if you get it wrong in terms of the well-being of staff around the young person. Who’s accountable and who’s responsible?

Key questions then that spring to mind are;

·         Can it ever be classified as a low risk? Regardless of context

The potential outcomes for the young person would also be life changing, but

·         how can a school contain such a threat even if it is geared up to dealing with young people that present with social, emotional and mental health difficulties?

·         Should we even be considering containing the threat at all?

·         What if there are undiagnosed mental health difficulties?

·         Do you then continue to work with the young person until those difficulties have been diagnosed or investigated or do you wait for diagnosis and possible medication and then make a decision?

·         How long would it take to get a referral, a consultation and a decision on a diagnosis?

·         Can we work with a young person over a period of months until that happens? because I am certain that we cannot wait 3 – 6 months with them not being in education.

·         Would it be safe to send an outreach team into the home to work and for how long?

Keeping everyone safe is paramount and decisions around dangerous comments need to be given serious consideration as there is a lot at stake for everyone.

What would you do?