Levels of Risk | Paradise Valley Community College (2024)

1. Mild Risk:

• Disruptive or concerning behavior
• Individual may or may not show signs of distress
• No threat is made or present

Examples:

• Disrespectful behavior
• Drop in grades
• Missed assignments
• Deteriorating assignments
• Deterioration on physical appearance/lack of personal hygiene
• Possible disruptive incidents

2. Moderate Risk:

• More involved or repeated disruption; behavior is more concerning
• Possible threat is made or present
• Threat is vague or indirect and lacks detail or realism
• Information about the threat is inconsistent or lacks detail
• Content of threat suggests threatener is unlikely to carry it out

Examples:

• Harassing behavior to another individual
• Disorganized, erratic performance
• Emotional response is overreaction or under reaction
• Repeated absence from class

3. Elevated Risk:

• Seriously disruptive incidents
• Exhibiting clear distress; more likely disturbance
• Threat made or present
• Threat is vague and indirect but may be shared with multiple reporters
• Threat is inconsistent, implausible, or lacks detail
• Threat lacks realism, or is repeated with variations
• Content of threat suggests threatener is unlikely to carry it out

Examples:

• Out of control behavior
• Verbal aggressiveness
• Direct statements indicating distress from personal problems
• Others expressing concern or fear about the individual
• Papers, pictures, or behaviors that focus on despair, hopelessness, or violence

4. Severe Risk:

• Disturbed behavior; not one’s normal self
• Threat made or present
• Threat is vague but direct, or specific but indirect
• Threat is consistent, plausible, or includes increasing details
• Threat likely to be repeated with consistency
• Content of threat suggests threatener may carry it out.

Examples:

• Self injurious or self destructive behavior
• Seriously disruptive incidents
• Papers/pictures that focus on violence, aggression, or rage
• Refusal to comply with rules

5. Extreme Risk:

• Individual is dysregulated (way off baseline)
• Threat made or present
• Threat is concrete and likely to be shared with multiple reporters
• Threat is consistent, plausible, and/or includes specific details (often with steps already taken)
• Threat may be repeated with consistency
• Content of threat suggests threatener will carry it out
• Threatener may appear detached

Examples:

• Posing an immediate threat to self or others
• Individual exhibits frightening behavior
• Individual may appear detached