Know the Signs: Preventing Gun Violence and Other Harmful Acts

People who hurt themselves or others often show warning signs before they carry out an act of violence. If you don’t know what to look for, it can be easy to miss the signs, or dismiss them as unimportant. Significantly, missing the signs can have tragic consequences. Notably, in 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of the attacker’s plan but failed to report it.

Now more than ever, it’s essential to know the signs. Students and educators who participate in our Say Something program learn these life-saving warning signs. They’re taught to recognize signs and get help when their classmates show they may be in danger or need help. Warning signs can include things such as thoughts, feelings, actions, and behaviors. At-risk people can show significant or sudden changes in behavior or personality.

10 Critical Warning Signs of Violence

Here is our list of ten potential warning signs* that can signal an individual may be in crisis or need help:

1. Suddenly withdrawing from friends, family and activities (including online or via social media)

2. Bullying, especially if targeted towards differences in race, religion, gender or sexual orientation 

3. Excessive irritability, lack of patience, or becoming angry quickly

4. Experiencing chronic loneliness or social isolation 

5. Expressing persistent thoughts of harming themselves or someone else

6. Making direct threats toward a place, another person, or themselves

7. Bragging about access to guns or weapons

8. Recruiting accomplices or audiences for an attack 

9. Directly expressing a threat as a plan 

10. Cruelty to animals

* NOTE: This isn’t a complete list of all warning signs. Exhibiting one of these signs doesn’t necessarily indicate imminent violence. When concerned about troubling behaviors, tell a trusted adult or call 911 if there is an immediate threat.

Watch Evan, Warning Signs PSA