Violence Risk and Threat Assessment of Young People | February 27, 2026 | VIRTUAL

The Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy presents:

Violence Risk and Threat Assessment of Young People | February 27, 2026

10:15AM-4:30PM EST (lunch break from 12:45-1:30PM EST)

Please click here for a detailed agenda.

Training Description

This one-day, live online program provides a comprehensive introduction to current research and best practices of violence risk assessment with juveniles. The program begins with a solid theoretical foundation regarding clinical parameters of risk, risk factors, and related legal constructs, integrated with the developmental science of juvenile development. Participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with the SAVRY (Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth) and Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). The program concludes with a research-based approach to assessing student threats in school settings. 

This introductory program is well-suited for mental health professionals, juvenile justice staff, social services agencies, educators, and others who encounter questions about young people’s risk for violent behavior.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to:

1. Understand legal and scientific foundations of assessing juvenile violence risk in various practice contexts (e.g., base rates, risk factors, types of structured risk assessment instruments).
2. Score and apply a common structured professional judgment instrument for violence risk assessment among juveniles (i.e., the SAVRY).
3. Learn to apply an evidence-based model of threat assessment in schools.
4. Identify differences and similarities between risk assessments and threat assessments with juvenile.

Instructors

Jeffrey Aaron, PhD, is the Juvenile Justice & Behavioral Health Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS). A clinical and forensic psychologist, he previously spent almost 18 years at the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents (CCCA), Virginia’s only public psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents. Dr. Aaron was a member of the Mental Health Workgroup of the Governor’s Task Force on School and Campus Safety, the Charlottesville/Albemarle gang intervention project known as Gang Reduction through Active Community Engagement (GRACE), and the Virginia Interagency Task Force charged with making recommendations to the Virginia General Assembly regarding the transformation of Virginia’s juvenile justice system. 

Dewey Cornell, PhD, is a forensic clinical psychologist and Virgil Ward Professor of Education in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Director of the UVA Youth Violence Project, Dr. Cornell has authored more than 250 publications in psychology and education, including studies of bullying, juvenile homicide, school safety, and threat assessment. He is principal developer of the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines and the Authoritative School Climate Survey.

Neither the instructors nor the program planning committee (Daniel Murrie, Ph.D., Lucy Guarnera, Ph.D., & Angela Torres, Ph.D.) have any conflicts of interest or commercial support to disclose.

Continuing Education

Participants can expect to receive 5.5 hours of continuing education credits (CEs) approved by the American Psychological Association (APA). ILPPP is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. ILPPP maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

You must join no later than 10:15AM and stay for the duration of the presentation in order to receive the CE credits.

CE credits are applicable for licensed psychologists; other disciplines will need to check the relevant statutes and guidance regarding whether or not this can count towards any CE requirement.

Training Fees

$250.00 Standard Registration

$125.00 DBHDS/CSB Employees

*If you are a DBHDS/CSB employee, please use this discount code to get the reduced price: VRTA26

Please note that the reduced rate is available only for DBHDS and CSB employees, rather than all state employees, because DBHDS subsidizes this training program for their employees.

Occasionally large facilities or state agencies outside of Virginia want to send a team of trainees, for whom we can arrage a discounted group rate. Please contact us to discuss such arrangements.

Refund Policy:

Full refunds are available up to one week prior to the training date. No refunds will be issued within one week of the training. To request a refund, email Walker Hill, Training Program Coordinator, at kwh4pyd@uvahealth.org.