Early Warnings: What Educators Need to Know About Preventing School Violence (with Bruce Liebe)
About this episode
Dr. Joey Weisler and Bruce Liebe discuss how educators can recognize early warning signs of potential school violence and the importance of community collaboration in prevention.
Episode Synopsis In this episode of Classroom Narratives: Healing in Education , Dr. Joey Weisler speaks with Bruce Liebe, a retired Illinois State Police officer with over 30 years of law enforcement experience and a longtime instructor in active threat training and tactical response. Together, they explore the intersection between education and prevention—specifically how educators, administrators, and communities can recognize early warning signs that may indicate a student in distress or at risk of causing harm. Drawing from research, real cases, and decades of field experience, Bruce explains the five phases many active attackers move through, emphasizing that the earliest stages—fantasy, planning, and preparation—often contain visible signals that educators may encounter through student behavior, communication, or writing. Dr. Weisler reflects on his own teaching experiences following the Parkland tragedy, discussing the challenges educators face when trying to report concerning student behavior while navigating institutional pressure, stigma, and uncertainty. This conversation offers practical insights into threat assessment processes, school-community collaboration, and…
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