INCIDENT DATA
Preventing Violence Through Shared Knowledge
The Averted School Violence (ASV) Database is a national resource that documents incidents in which planned acts of school violence were discovered and successfully prevented. Each case offers critical insights into how early warning signs were recognized, who intervened, and what steps made a difference in the outcome.
ASV’s goal is to translate these stories into evidence-based strategies that help schools, law enforcement and communities prevent future tragedies.
Ongoing Analysis of the ASV Database
The ASV team is actively analyzing incidents reported to the database to identify common patterns and lessons learned. This work is designed to provide a foundation of evidence-based research to support the prevention of targeted school attacks and promote sustainable, community-driven strategies for intervention and preparedness.
Our analysis explores key questions:
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What types of behaviors preceded the planned acts?
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How and when were threats discovered?
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What roles did students, staff, and safety personnel play?
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Which interventions were most effective?
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What systems worked and where were the gaps?
These findings will inform future publications and briefs that will provide accessible, actionable guidance for the school safety community. For now, please visit the Publications page for a list of resources recommended for review.
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Key Themes Emerging from the Data
While ongoing analysis continues, several consistent themes have already emerged across a wide range of averted incidents submitted over the last ten years:
Students Often Sound the Alarm
Many plots were uncovered because students noticed something and reported it to a trusted adult or through formal processes. Peer reporting remains one of the most effective tools for preventing violence.
Digital Clues are Common
In many cases, threats were discovered through online posts, text messages, or searches. This reinforces the importance of digital literacy and monitoring tools.
School Resource Officers Play a Vital Role
SROs frequently led or supported interventions that stopped violence before it occurred, underlining the value of trusted relationships between students and law enforcement.
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Why Studying Averted—Not Just Completed—Violence Matters
The database features accounts of both completed and averted violence, because lessons can be learned from both acts of violence that were carried out and those that were prevented. Every averted attack represents not only a success story, but a learning opportunity. When we examine what nearly happened, and how it was stopped, we gain critical insight into how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
These lessons:
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Help schools identify behavioral warning signs
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Reinforce the importance of timely communication and collaboration
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Encourage a culture where students feel safe to speak up
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Improve emergency response and threat assessment protocols
Our ultimate goal is prevention through preparedness, not fear. By learning from what didn’t happen, we build stronger systems to keep our schools safe.