Office of Threat Assessment and Management

The Office of Threat Assessment and Management was developed with a very straightforward vision in mind: everyone has the right and reasonable expectation to be safe when they come to USC to study, teach, learn and work. We must make USC a place of thriving — free from the distress and pain that can result from threatening behavior or acts of violence. The focus of the office is to assist the university in the early identification of potential risk and to assist in the development of strategies designed to both prevent violence and to assist redirection toward healthy, appropriate behavior.

Mission Statement

USC Threat Assessment & Management will provide proactive collaborative oversight and support to the University in the identification, assessment and management of threats and/or threatening behavior that may lead to acts of targeted violence against the USC campus and community.

Key Lessons from Past Acts

Violence


Campus violence occurs within a context and violence prevention must address both the individual and the environment around that person.

Responsibility


Everyone has a responsibility for their own conduct and for not tolerating unacceptable behavior from others.

Prevention


Very few things are as they are first reported: Violence prevention requires a robust threat assessment and management process conducted by a qualified multidisciplinary team of professionals.

Pattern of Behavior


No one “just snaps”. Targeted violence is the end of a long pattern of behavior. Someone knows what is coming! Despite what we hear in the media, there are very few true surprises.

Intervention


There are opportunities to intervene in ways that can help to prevent a violent act from occurring.

Assessment


Not all warnings or “red flags” are equal, but all warning signs should be taken seriously and evaluated by a risk assessment process.

Resources

Warning Signs

Patrick Prince speaks to the challenges of keeping our campus safe - how to identify vulnerabilities, how to get involved early in the process, and how to mitigate the risk over the long run.
Watch the Video

USC Cardinal Folder

Response and reporting reference guide.
View PDF

Office of Threat Assessment & Management

837 Downey Way, STO 327
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Tel: 213-740-0243