Your role in Violence Prevention
It is the responsibility of all campus community members to help maintain an environment free from threats or acts of violence.
Perpetrators of violence typically premeditate or plan attacks prior to carrying them out, often following a “pathway to violence.” Along the pathway to violence, perpetrators are known to display common warning signs, or “behaviors of concern,” which may be identified by bystanders (e.g., colleagues, classmates, family, friends on social media, etc.). When bystanders refer known information to the appropriate authorities, it creates the opportunity to assess the situation to determine (a) whether someone may be on a pathway to violence, and (b) which management strategies may be leveraged to divert behaviors away from the pathway to violence.
Educating the campus community on behaviors of concern, or potential indicators of future violence, is essential to the collective responsibility of campus violence prevention. When members of the university community understand: (1) what to look for to identify behaviors of concern, and (2) how and with whom to share known information, it equips them to serve as active bystanders.
UIC community members should be familiar with the following behaviors of concern, as well as the appropriate reporting contacts to share information.
Behaviors of Concern Heading link
-
Behaviors of Concern
Behavior that should be reported may include:
- Any physical violence toward a person or property.
- Direct or indirect threats of violence, including threats of violence in electronic form.
- Any act, gesture, or statement that would be interpreted by a reasonable person as threatening, such as overt physical or verbal threats, throwing objects or other gestures intended to cause fear, or making contextually inappropriate statements about harming others.
- Unusual or bizarre behavior that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or harm due to its nature and severity, such as: stalking; erratic or bizarre behavior suggestive of mental disturbance or substance abuse; fixation with mass murder, weapons, or violence generally; or fixation with hate group, terrorist, or extremist material.
- Any statements or behaviors indicating suicidality.