AMOK FOR EUROPEAN SCHOOLS

FOR EUROPEAN SCHOOLS AMOK: “A situation in which a person or persons attacks thepersons present in a particular location and try to make as many victims as possible, without entrenching or taking hostages.” Human Resources and Security

WORD OF WARNINGThis document is based on extensive research and close cooperation with national EUmember states’ police experts. Nevertheless, this document is not a check list which, byticking all necessary boxes, guarantees you a complete secure environment in an AMOKsituation. 100% security is a myth as every situation is different and might even evolvewhile happening. However, you can (must) be prepared. Security at school involves extensiveplanning, training and the support and involvement of everybody; staff, students, families…“THE SCHOOL”is more than a set of buildings! The moment parents put their children on the bus, drop themoff before school periods and pick them up aſter school periods or external school activities,they consider their children as being “at school”.Therefore all drills and plans must be knownto all occupants and organizers of extra-school activities and the responsibilities have to bewell defined. Emergency services must be aware of presences before and aſter school time.WHAT IS AMOK? IT IS NOT Only related to terrorism or to fire arms; it does not happen only in classes or offices but also in open spaces and unfortunately it does not happen only “somewhere else”. IT IS One (mostly) or more actors, moving around freely in a cold and calculated way with the plan to make as many victims as possible and with suicide in 90% of cases. Their main objective is making “numbers”. As such, they are not interested in hostages, ransom demands or negotiations. “They” are mostly men acting alone.

CATEGORIES OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE ADVERSARYCATEGORY DESCRIPTIONSTUDENT Student(s), oſten with complicated motives and contributing factors, perceive violence against classmates as justified and as an ultimate solution to their problems (Type 2 – Meloy, 2013)OUTSIDER Oſten pseudo-commando (homicide-suicide)-type adult with aADULT personal connection to the school (former graduate, family connection, etc), or owing to its vulnerability, targets the school and students. Less common examples are oſten acts of targeted workplace violence against faculty members (Type - Meloy, 2013)INSIDER School employee (or recently terminated employee), oſten desperateADULT and motivated by revenge, opts for violence against students and faculty as a means of vengeance. (Type 3 – Meloy 2013)TERRORIST Terrorist group recognizes huge potential for emotional impact by targeting children, parents and teachers as victims or hostages (Type 2 – Meloy, 2013)THE BEST DEVELOPED COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY PLAN IS AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK:• The example always comes from above.• The comfort of one can never jeopardise the security of all.

KEY TO SUCCESS: PREVENTION-PREVENTION-PREVENTION“In order to avoid that a seed is planted in the head of a person, which develops into apoisonous plant, pushing the person towards violence, prevention is essential.”HOW?As a large majority of AMOK cases have bullying as one of the main contributing factors,anti-bullying programs are vital. Also an Open School Society, with an Open CommunicationPolicy where everybody can forward his concerns and is listened to, is essential.THREAT ASSESSMENT PROCESS:Management should have a threat assessment capability. Their mission is the identificationof threats made, evaluation of seriousness of the threat and danger it poses to others, apossible intervention to reduce the risk of violence (involving student-parents-police) and afollow-up to assess the intervention’s result.PROFILING DOES NOT WORK!Oſten it is believed that profiling would be the ultimate solution. However, profiling anindividual in an AMOK school environment results in making false predictions, generatingstereotypes and does not solve problems. The reason for this is that there are not enoughAMOK cases in schools in order to develop a substantiated basis for a profile.

AMOK VS RADICALISMEven if there are similarities as to the perpetrators and modes of action, and even if thepolice responses in case of attacks are very close, there are substantial differences betweenan AMOK incident and a terrorist attack (radicalism).Most notable differences are ideological reasons and the atmosphere of fear generatedwhich will be more considerable with a terrorist attack.Also, an AMOK author generally operates alone during his planning, preparation and attack;while radicals can oſten count on networks for support in their planning, for their resourcesand/or actions.

ANATOMY OF A SCHOOL ATTACKPathway to Violence“A series of sequential steps – from its beginning with a felt grievance, to violent ideation, researchand planning, specific preparations for violence, critical breaches of security or other boundaries, to aconcluding attack –indicating that an individual is progressing towards an act of targeted violence”(Calhoun & Weston, 2003; Fein et al., 2002). 1. IDEATION 2. OPERATIONAL 3. PRMotive evolves into violent intent: PLANNING PREP• STUDENT - Student perceives violence • Oſten begins as violent fantasies that • Usually begins whe frame the template for attack is selected and the as justified revenge and as a final • Formally begins when perpetrator has satisfied with the a solution to their problems (E. Harris & committed to the idea of an attack. • Change in behaviou D. Klebold, K. Kinkel, etc.). • Involves information gathering • Participants may ‘d• INSIDER ADULT – Current/former aimed at supporting an attack others at the schoo school official rejected by school plan. (identification of targets, • Final mission-essen administration or community establishment of routines, etc.) acquired (if not alr conceives of violence as a means • Research on tactics, weapons, IED • Weapons prepared of vengeance (Kehoe, S. Shumerth, A. making, etc. (Developing Capability) constructed, & ot Bishop, etc). • Acquiring resources (weapons, preparations• OUTSIDER ADULT – Individual explosives, etc.) • Warnings to friend motivated by a variety of possible • Dehumanizing potential victims. statements factors (fascination with mass • Time Span: Weeks to Years (months • Duration: Days to W violence, mental illness, sexual most commonly) compulsion, family issues, etc.) becomes obsessed with idea of school violence (D. Morrison, A. Lanza, C.C. Roberts IV, etc.)• TERRORIST – Terrorist group recognizes huge potential for emotional impact by attacking school or taking children, parents, and teachers hostage. (RSBCM, DFLP, Boko Haram, etc.)Personality disorder may/or may not be a factor fuelling escalation from MOTIVE TO INTENT• Time Span: Months to Years

RE-ATTACK 4. EXECUTION 5. POST-ATTACK /PARATIONS ESCAPE en attack date • Assault launched • Oſten terminates with suicide when e perpetrator is • Oſten executed with intention of perpetrator realizes responders have attack plan. arrived or are breaching the facility. ur suicide as final resolution aſter • If not suicide, killer may try to escape disconnect’ from damage is done. in a vehicle or go to another location ol to continue killing spree ntial resources are ready in possession)d, bombs ther finalds, social mediaWeeks The Role of Warning Behaviors in Threat Assessment: An Exploration and Suggested Typology J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D.*, Jens Hoffmann, Ph.D.,† Angela Guldimann, M.A.,{ and David James, M.B., B.S., M.A.}

PREVENTIONSuspicious behaviour, strange events, even a gut feeling must be reported and shouldnot be limited to teachers or supervisors:•Unknown cars, vans parked in front of the school or in park-free zones, with or withoutoccupants.•Reoccurring passages of same people; walking a dog or with a stroller, male or female.•Pictures taken of the school or his occupants by anyone.Teach the students to report anything out of the ordinary, especially when surfing thesocial media platforms, such as questions asked about the school. EVAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8syQeFtBKc

COUNTERMEASURES RELATIVE TO THE SCHOOL ATTACK SEQUENCEProactive MitigatingCountermeasures CountermeasuresReduce Risk Probability Reduce Risk Severity12 3 4 5Safe School Culture Threat Management Physical SecurityOpen School Threat Awareness Detectioncommunity DelayAnti-bullying measures Threat assessment Response Threat ManagementPlans & Preparation & Test Crisis & Post-Incident Plans Lessons LearnedRecommended reading: “The final report and findings of the safe school initiative”https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/preventingattacksreport.pdf

HOW TO REACT IN AN AMOK SITUATION? ESCAPE IT IS NOT SAFE TO ESCADecisions and actions taken in the first five seconds oſten Procedures for locking and bamake the difference between life and death! and fast!Do not wait for someone to tell you what to do! Pre-plan how you will barricaReality check: intruder!• Evacuating a class room of scared students in a hostile • Lock the door if it has a key environment? with the fast locking system• Exact location of the threat (confusion – chaos – panic)? • Barricade the door in everyVirtually impossible or only at great risk to the children and • Silence cell phone, switch oyourself. Therefore: them!) ALWAYS BARRICADE • Keep as low as you can, staUnless confronted in the open (sport fields, school trips, glass surfaces.eventually sports arena) • Always have a back-up pla ONCE BARRICADE BARRICADE UNTILEmergency evacuation during armed incident in the open:• Prepare everyone to move rapidly.• Listen first, then peek and make sure the intruder is not nearby.• Instruct students to move rapidly to the preselected rally point or as far away from the dang• If intruder is an actual shooter, instruct students to run as quickly as possible.

APE: BARRICADE RESISTarricading rooms should be simple No active shooters have ever been stopped by victims who froze, closed their eyes, covered their head, cried, begged forade your room in case of a violent their lives or played dead. If you want to survive you must y (key always in lock all day) orm RESIST = SELF-DEFENCE!y (silent) way you canoff vibrate alarm (and check But only as the very last resort!ay away from windows or any • Try to act in group, even with young ones among you.an for escape during lock-down • Use every weapon of opportunity (pens, scissors, paper ED, NEVER LIFT THE punch, fire extinguisher, chair, …)L POLICE IS PRESENT! • Fully commit to it, do not stop until the threat is incapacitated • Important: Once neutralized, move away (escape) from the threat. Do not touch any objects the intruder has with him or on him (for instance a gun or a cell phone)gerous scene as possible.

REUNIFICATIONIn most threat incidents, students will be evacuated immediately aſter the threat isneutralized for reunification with parents/guardians.Problems encountered with previous incidents:• Teachers and parents not knowing where to go for reunification• Reunification personnel not knowing procedures• Difficulty in locating students at reunification site• Difficulty in credentialing authorized guardians• Lack of readiness for dealing with tragic notifications, grieving parents, etc.• Lack of readiness for news media Importance of pro-active planning • Most common problems can be avoided by having a good protocol, advance preparation, and properly trained staff. • Responsibility of management to plan and install, responsibility of staff to know the correct procedures

AFTER CAREYou have experienced an extraordinary and traumatizing event.If you feel uncomfortable and faced with certain symptoms (insomnia, panic attacks, lossof appetite,…) , do not hesitate to contact the medical service put in place and which are atyour disposal such as:• Red Cross• Police victims support• Employer’s own psychological serviceThese symptoms may even occur aſter a prolonged period aſter the events