Dr. Leanna S. White Dr. Tracy L. Stenger SUNY Fredonia Counseling Center

1. Communication skills for disarming angry students 2. How to identify and effectively refer distressed and/or potentially aggressive students 3. When, how and to whom faculty and staff should report concerns about student behavior 4. How to keep oneself and others as safe as possible 5. How to establish healthy boundaries in the classroom and the office

CONCERNSNEEDS

 The threatener on a college campus is almost always (91% of the time) a member of the community or someone closely related to it.  If they intend violence within our community, there is a 91% chance that there has been leakage prior to the event. ◦ ½ of people who leak prior to violence want to be helped or stopped National Center for Higher Education Risk Management:

 83% of school (K-12) violent perpetrators raised serious concerns about their potential for violence  82% of campus shooters and other violent campus actors shared their plans, or parts of plans, with others prior to their acts.  40% of those who experience suicidal ideation also experience homicidal ideation. National Center for Higher Education Risk Management:

 “Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nationally, not only in the classroom but in society at large” (Kowalski, 2003).  Possible Causes: ◦ Contingent on individual student situations  Health, personal or family problems, adjustment or developmental issues, general academic difficulties, and/or cultural or generational issues ◦ Structural to the course  Factors that predict classroom incivility: 1. Choice of motivators and, 2. The number of “immediacy” behaviors Kowalski, R. M. (2003). Complaining, teasing, and other annoying behaviors. New Have, CT: Yale University Press.

 People who may become violent often talk in terms of: ◦ Rejection, entitlement, grandiosity, attention- seeking, revenge, attachment, identity seeking  To assess risk, look for the JACA elements: ◦ J – Perceived Justification ◦ A – Perceived Alternatives ◦ C – Perceived Consequences ◦ A – Perceived Ability

 Define expectations at the outset ◦ Define policies on the syllabus ◦ Allow student participation in setting ground rules  Decrease anonymity ◦ Learn and use names consistently ◦ Engage students one-on-one  Seek feedback from students ◦ Some student incivilities are due to perceived instructor incivilities  Encourage active learning ◦ Meaningful engagement can also bring side benefits with respect to student behavior Sorcinelli, M.D. (2002). “Promoting civility in large classes.” In C. Stanley & E. Porter (Eds.), Engaging large classes: Strategies and techniques for college faculty (44-57). Boston, MA: Anker

Step 1 Encourage the student to call the SUNY Fredonia Counseling Center at to schedule an appointment. Step 2 You can place the call to the Counseling Center while the student is with you or walk the student over to our office to set up an appointment. Step 3 In the case of a mental health emergency during business hours, call and let the secretary know that you need assistance with a crisis situation. Step 4 If you are concerned about a student but are uncertain about the appropriateness of a referral, feel free to call Counseling Center and speak with a member of our professional staff.