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DA: Mental health a factor in threat discipline

Weatherford Democrat - 3/16/2018

March 15--All terroristic threats to the Weatherford Independent School District will be taken seriously, but mental health can play a role in how juveniles are punished in such instances, Parker County District Attorney Don Schnebly said.

Schnebly responsed in writing to questions posed by a Weatherford Democrat reporter in the aftermath of several threats that were made to the school district in February and late January by juveniles.

Each case and punishment should be decided on an individual basis, and mental health is an important aspect of evaluating children who make threats that rise to the level of illegality, the district attorney said.

"If children are struggling with mental health issues, they need to know of the services available to assist them," he said. "Furthermore, anyone with knowledge of a particular threat should report the information immediately to law enforcement and school authorities."

Mental health will be taken into account when it comes to evaluating each juvenile, Schnebly said.

"Often information regarding a juvenile's family history, school history, mental health and substance abuse issues are compiled through the Juvenile Probation Department, with the assistance of the juvenile and their family," he said.

"Every case is analyzed individually and a disposition recommendation to the court is made based on the facts of the offense, needs of the juvenile and safety of the community," Schnebly said. "During the pendency of the case, a juvenile may be required to participate in psychological evaluations and risk assessments to assist the parties in determining the appropriate disposition for their specific case."

All threats will be treated seriously, regardless of whether there is evidence the individual who made the threat was prepared to act on it, Schnebly said.

"All threats will be taken seriously and treated as legitimate," he said.

While identifying threats can be done in the legal realm, the overall community plays a role as well, Schnebly said.

"Adults in all arenas -- parents, educators, law enforcement and community members, need to pay attention to safety concerns that are raised by either juveniles in crisis or their peers," he said.

Schnebly's comments seem to echo those in the medical career field.

Although the majority of targeted violence attackers reveal their intentions to a family member, friend or associate, most bystanders did not inform law enforcement or seek help and intervention, according to a 2015 study by Argonne National Laboratory, a research and development division of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The study recommended that law enforcement, mental health professionals, faith leaders, educators, community advocates, parents, and peers "assess risk and develop intervention strategies specific to the pre-criminal space."

An article published in 2017 for the National Register of Health Service Psychologists recommended that schools develop threat assessment teams that would be capable of identifying a risk of violence.

Punishment recommendations for the juveniles who have recently made terroristic threats to the school district could range from incarceration and probation to mental health treatment, Schnebly said.

"The purpose of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate the offender," Schnebly said. "'Punishment', which is called disposition, generally ranges from an informal probation at the low end of the spectrum through certification to stand trial as an adult at the high end. Other options include probation, placement at treatment facilities to address a juvenile's needs, or commitment of a juvenile to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), which is a analogous to juvenile prison."

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(c)2018 Weatherford Democrat (Weatherford, Texas)

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