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?