This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program links Know2Protects' Digital Boundaries Campaign, shares information on a Higher Education behavioral threat assessment and management networking initiative, and promotes the upcoming classes on Effective Communication Principles, Cybersecurity in Education, Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness, Digital Threat Assessment®, Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities, Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates, Campus Threat Assessment and Management, Threat Assessment Team Training, and Cyberbullying, Sextortion, and the Pathway to Radicalization.

Thank you for your interest in school and campus safety. However, if you wish to no longer receive our emails, let me know and I will remove you from our contacts list.

Respectfully,

Laura Black

le-black@wiu.edu

Program Coordinator

Illinois School and Campus Safety Program

Know2Protect's Digital Boundaries Campaign

Many students already spend a lot of time online and, with Spring break just around the corner, they may spend even more time there. Know2Protect has a Digital Boundaries campaign that includes publications to help "set healthy online boundaries, especially when kids and teens may have more free time to spend on their devices. This initiative is a vital part of DHS’s drive to educate and empower children, teens, parents and trusted adults to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse all year long!" The campaign resources include posters, fact sheets, tips, social media items, and more.

Information on Illinois Higher Education BTAM Networking Initiative

There's Still Time to Register for Feb. 27th

Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates Classes

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce upcoming sessions of the monthly 2-hr Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates class from 9am-11am via Zoom on Feb. 27, March 25th, April 23rd, May 27, and June 25th.

The monthly Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates sessions complement Safer Schools Together’s Digital Threat Assessment® training. These monthly sessions have been developed out of a need to continue to keep school safety and threat assessment teams informed so that they are able to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. Staying up to date with the current digital landscape will help teams build capacity and sustainability within your community. Each monthly session will review the most current trends in social media, with updated information each month!

For more information and to register, click here.

There's Still Time to Register!

Cyberbullying, Sextortion, and The Pathway to Radicalization on March 2nd via Zoom

There's still time to register for the Cyberbullying, Sextortion, and the Pathway to Radicalization class on March 2nd via Zoom.

This essential training tackles the difficult realities of cyberbullying, sextortion, and online radicalization, highlighting their evolution in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Drawing on SST cases, data-driven best practices, and years of hands on experience, this training provides attendees with the tools and knowledge to identify and support vulnerable youth, understand the impact of these concerns, and develop proactive prevention and intervention strategies. 

For more information and to register, click here.

There's Still Time to Register!

Threat Assessment Team Training in

Galesburg, IL March 5-6

There's still time to register for the Threat Assessment Team Training class in Galesburg, IL March 5-6, 2026.

This comprehensive 2-day K-12 training on multidisciplinary, community-based threat assessment teams provides a history and background of threat assessment, targeted violence, threat assessment research, risk factors, and behavioral indicators of those who are intending to commit targeted violence against others. It also provides training on the concept and advantages of a community-based, multidisciplinary threat assessment system, team dynamics, threat assessment process, and management principles.

For more information and to register, click here.

Digital Threat Assessment® on March 9th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Digital Threat Assessment® class will be held on March 9th via Zoom.

The Digital Threat Assessment® training will enable participants to establish a framework to better assess all threats by constructing and considering the digital baseline of a threat maker by locating, documenting, and evaluating social media data through a threat assessment lens. A significant portion of the day will be spent engaging in hands-on exercises on the most prevalent social media platforms and associated search applications.

 For more information and to register, click here.

Effective Communication Principles on March 13th in Springfield

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Effective Communication Principles Before, During, and After Critical Incidents class will be held March 13, 2026, in Springfield, IL.

This training provides attendees comprehensive education on the subject of communications. Throughout the training, attendees will learn about the importance of building relationships with the media and the community through routine communications. The training will also provide guidance on how to prepare for a crisis communications event and what to do should that day happen. Finally, instruction will wrap up with discussion on how to effectively communicate after a critical incident.

 For more information and to register, click here.

Campus Threat Assessment and Management

March 23-24th in Palos Hills

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Campus Threat Assessment and Management class is being held in Palos Hills, Il March 23-24th.

This two-day workshop for institutions of higher education will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with concerning situations.

For more information and to register, click here.

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting

March 25-26th in Carol Stream

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting class is being held in Carol Stream, Il March 25-26th.

This two-day training through Deisinger Consulting, LLC, in collaboration with SOS Global Consulting, will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with threatening and concerning behaviors.

For more information and to register, click here.

Cybersecurity in Education: Risk Assessment, Mitigation, and Management on March 31st via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of Cybersecurity in Education: Risk Assessment, Mitigation, and Management class will be held on March 31st via Zoom.

The impact of cyberattacks extends beyond major corporations, including educational institutions like schools, districts, and campuses that may not realize they are susceptible to these attacks. Are your teams prepared to navigate a cyber threat? Utilizing key principles of Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA), participants will explore the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape and its implications for school and campus safety. The session will delve into identifying and mitigating cyber threats, understanding the current cyber threat landscape, implementing effective risk assessment strategies, and developing effective incident response plans. Through this training, participants will gain the knowledge and tools necessary to proactively prevent, assess, and respond to a wide range of digital and cyber-related challenges, ensuring a safer and more secure learning environment for all.

 For more information and to register, click here.

It IS Your Business: Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness for K-12 School and Institutions of Higher Education on April 2nd in Macomb

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the "It IS Your Business": Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness for K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education class will be held April 2, 2026, in Macomb, IL.

"It IS Your Business" engages participants in learning about grooming and sexual assault so they have the knowledge to recognize behaviors and intervene when a situation may be arising. At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

• identify grooming as it is outlined in Faith's and Erin’s Law that now mandates training for all schools on such behaviors
• understand the co-occurring nature of interpersonal violence crimes (i.e., sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence)
• understand the elements of Title IX as it pertains to both K-12 schools and higher education
• compare normal mentoring behaviors with classic predatory behaviors and recognize the difference between the two interactions
• apply the knowledge they now have on grooming to implement better and more clear policies and procedures on the boundaries of professional conduct
• evaluate situations where professional boundaries may have been crossed and feel more confident in their decisions to intervene with employees or students, as well as feel better prepared on how to support survivors

 For more information and to register, click here.

Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities on April 7th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities class will be held on April 7th via Zoom.

Trauma-informed practices help create environments where the brain is able to learn rather than existing in a state of hyperarousal. By understanding trauma and its effects, school staff can respond to challenging behavior in a way that supports the students, families, and staff alike.

 For more information and to register, click here.

Preventing Targeted Violence Through Leakage and Cyber Investigations April 27-28th in McHenry

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Preventing Targeted Violence Through Leakage and Cyber Investigations class will be held April 27-28, 2026, in McHenry, IL. Class objectives include:

• Why it is important NOT to disregard information given to LEO or school officials.
• What the term "Leakage" means and how we can interpret the information.
• Learn free and open source online investigative tools into social networks and App generated phone numbers.
• Learn to identify and collect cyber evidence to identify suspects.
• Learn the three-step process in investigating internet crimes.
• Learn the importance of Preservation, Exigent Circumstances, and Search Warrants.
• Learn how to obtain IP's, screen names, screen captures, and email headers.
• State laws: Terrorist Threat, Falsely Making a Terrorist Threat, Swatting, and Causing a Catastrophe.
• Suspect search warrant, arrest, interrogation, and mental health evaluation.
• Examine a successful cyber-crime case study investigation from start to finish.

For more information and to register, click here.