The Josephine County procedure which was made policy after Springfield appears to work. In 1997, County agencies handled seven cases of juveniles with guns making threats. Only one of those cases was at a school. That person was taken into custody, put into detention, and later placed in a treatment facility in another community. Government agencies, however, can only do so much.
Community participation is a key to averting violence.
We can't prevent these tragedies, we can only reduce the risk. Parents need to talk with their children, not only about what their children are feeling, but also if their friends are acting violent or making threats. You can help stop violence Health and law enforcement professionals look for these red flags when evaluating youths who have threatened others. At least one of these flags will apply to most any child. If you hear someone making threats, and you know at least two or three of these red flags to be true, please talk with a person or agency listed below.