There is a fairly new idea when it comes to addressing crime. It’s the concept of mental health experts and law enforcement working hand in hand to prevent crime before it occurs.
Therapists are legally required to report abuse of elderly and children, and if a client indicates intentions to harm themselves or others. Confessing a past crime carries a different set of rules. The legal website Nolo states that therapists reporting such a confession could be in violation of the therapist-patient confidentiality privilege in certain jurisdictions. At the same time, most states have an exemption that allows this privilege to be suspended if the patient presents information that indicates they’re a potential risk of harm to others.
In light of the mass shootings that have occurred in the last several years, many schools and communities have organized specialized task forces with crime prevention in mind. These special units monitor individuals who are perceived to be a risk to themselves or others. This starts with threat assessment, essentially a three-part process: identifying, evaluating and intervening.
Preventing a crime usually begins with a gut feeling that something is off. An individual overhears a person’s dark comments and alerts someone in authority. If the tip makes its way to a local threat assessment team, the group analyzes the subject’s background and circumstances (for example, their ability to access weapons). The team draws on the mental health expertise of counselors and experts in security. Possible responses range from arrest if violence seems imminent, to providing longer-term counseling.
The mental health professionals who work with law enforcement come from a number of disciplines in the counseling field.
Change this to “imminent”, meaning the counselor can only break confidentiality if the client is planning to leave their office and hurt themselves or others right now.
What Is Crime Prevention?
Crime prevention is defined as a collection of strategies and measures designed to reduce the risk of crimes before they are carried out. It’s a concept that can involve a community or organized group, such as a specialized task force. This concept can also pertain to an individual, such as a licensed therapist.
The level of care-based crime prevention can be broken down into three categories. The first category, primary care prevention, refers to services that are directed toward promoting the welfare of a community. The second category, secondary care prevention, refers to services meant to protect individuals or groups identified as being at-risk. Tertiary care prevention refers to services that are geared toward protecting individuals or groups from known offenders. These three categories can be applied to various types of crime, such as mass shootings, domestic abuse or sexual assault.
The goal of crime prevention is to not only reduce crime, but to also reduce the risk of people being victimized. A trained counselor can play a substantial role in helping carry out this objective. Their work can be instrumental in developing proactive strategies to help neutralize the threat of future criminal acts, and it can be crucial in identifying at-risk behaviors that could turn into bigger issues.
Ultimately, the work of a counselor can help build and fortify a safe community. How they accomplish this goal depends on the type of counselor. The counselor types are commonly divided into three groups: school counselors, community counselors and corrections counselors.
What Do School Counselors Do?
Crime prevention is defined as a collection of strategies and measures designed to reduce the risk of crimes before they are carried out. It’s a concept that can involve a community or organized group, such as a specialized task force. This concept can also pertain to an individual, such as a licensed therapist.
The level of care-based crime prevention can be broken down into three categories. The first category, primary care prevention, refers to services that are directed toward promoting the welfare of a community. The second category, secondary care prevention, refers to services meant to protect individuals or groups identified as being at-risk. Tertiary care prevention refers to services that are geared toward protecting individuals or groups from known offenders. These three categories can be applied to various types of crime, such as mass shootings, domestic abuse or sexual assault.
The goal of crime prevention is to not only reduce crime, but to also reduce the risk of people being victimized. A trained counselor can play a substantial role in helping carry out this objective. Their work can be instrumental in developing proactive strategies to help neutralize the threat of future criminal acts, and it can be crucial in identifying at-risk behaviors that could turn into bigger issues.
Ultimately, the work of a counselor can help build and fortify a safe community. How they accomplish this goal depends on the type of counselor. The counselor types are commonly divided into three groups: school counselors, community counselors and corrections counselors.
What Do Community Counselors Do?
Schools are not the only places that face violent incidents. Specialized task forces — like the one created in Broward County, Florida following the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High — incorporate community counselors as part of their recovery strategy.
The task force uses different strategies when dealing with potential threats, from a “wraparound intervention” including counseling, in-home tutoring and help pursuing personal interests, to conducting a “knock and talk” interview, which lets the potential offender know authorities are watching, and is often enough of a deterrent itself.
Counselors in these situations act as consultants and interact directly with individuals, working to guide them to more positive outcomes.
What Do Corrections Counselors Do?
One way counselors can prevent crime is to work in the corrections field. Once an offender has been convicted and incarcerated, they are often ordered to undergo counseling while in prison or jail. Through direct interaction with inmates, corrections counselors can help prevent recidivism and discourage an offender from escalating from petty crimes to more serious offenses.
Since clients are often involuntary, this type of counseling can be challenging. Corrections counselors can work in a number of roles, such as juvenile probation counselors, prison social workers, case workers, and classification counselors. Encouraging clients to engage in more positive outlets and avoid patterns of repetitive crimes and substance abuse makes these positions vital to the prevention of future crimes.
Pursue a Career That Makes a Difference
Whether they work in schools, the community or correctional institutions, counselors play a vital role in crime prevention. When a counselor acts as part of a threat assessment team, or works with students or inmates or parolees, they can find a great deal of satisfaction knowing they have made a difference in their community. Moreover, they can take comfort knowing they’ve made a positive impact in a person’s life.
Earning a Master of Arts in Counseling from Wake Forest University enables students to pursue a wide range of careers in counseling. The curriculum is specifically designed to strengthen the skills and knowledge gained at the undergraduate level to prepare students to meet the challenges of a counseling role with the utmost confidence.
Learn how Wake Forest can help prepare you to positively impact the lives of individuals, communities and our society.
Recommended Readings
Counselor vs. Social Worker: Choosing a Path to Inspire Positive Social Change
Minimizing the Impact that COVID-19 has on Schoolchildren
The Role of a School Counselor After a School Shooting
Sources:
American School Counselor Association, School Counselors Matter
International Police Organization, “Crime Prevention”
Nolo, “If I Tell My Psychologist About a Crime I Committed, Can I Get in Trouble?”
Rural Health Information Hub, Wraparound Programs
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Topic One – Definition of Crime Prevention