 January 2026
Latest News
Taking Action to Combat Youth Human Trafficking
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about human trafficking and how to identify and prevent this crime. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign provides resources and strategies that can help the K-12 community learn the signs of youth human trafficking, report suspected trafficking, and support victims. K-12 personnel can also access school-specific resources on SchoolSafety.gov to find strategies to prevent and respond to incidents of trafficking involving students.
National Study on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K-12 Schools
The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center released The State of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K-12 Public Schools. This study presents findings from a nationally representative survey of more than 1,700 school leaders on how K-12 schools are implementing and using behavioral threat assessment and management as part of their violence prevention efforts. The report also identifies opportunities for future focus and potential solutions to enhance the implementation of K-12 behavioral threat assessment and management programs.
New SchoolSafety.gov Issue Brief Highlights Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Student Mental Health
SchoolSafety.gov published a new issue brief featuring information and strategies to prevent bullying and cyberbullying and support student mental health in K-12 schools. The new publication also includes a list of related resources to help educators, school staff, and families recognize bullying and cyberbullying warning signs, promote positive student interactions, and support affected youth.
Vaping and Youth: Stay in the Know
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General released a Youth Vaping Resource Guide to combat the ongoing youth vaping epidemic. Despite recent declines in use, e-cigarettes remain the most used tobacco product among middle and high school students, with more than 1.6 million youth reporting use in 2024. The new guide provides strategies that parents, families, educators, and other K-12 stakeholders can use to help protect young people from the harms of vaping.
Take Control of Your School’s Data: Data Privacy Week 2026
Data Privacy Week takes place January 26-30 and empowers individuals and organizations to respect privacy, safeguard data, and enable trust. K-12 schools and districts store large amounts of sensitive student and staff data and have been increasingly targeted by malicious cyber actors. During Data Privacy Week, explore SchoolSafety.gov cybersecurity resources to learn how schools can improve their cyber posture and secure data against cyberattacks.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Deadlines
Drug-Free Communities Support Program (Deadline: February 12)
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment (March 18, May 20, July 15) – These virtual training events, hosted by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, will highlight key findings from research on school violence prevention and provide guidance on how schools can develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety webinars, conferences, and more.
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School Safety Resources
Targeted School Violence Resources
Critical Incident Preparedness Toolkit: Assessing Capacity to Respond to Active Assailant Events
This self-assessment tool is designed to assist school administrators and first responder agencies in considering potential active shooter scenarios and options for responding to them. The tool poses questions to evaluate active assailant preparedness and recommends resources for improving policies and practices to reduce the potential for mass violence.
Youth Substance Use Resources
Protecting Youth from the Harms of Vaping
This webpage provides information and resources on how educators, parents and guardians, and communities can help youth reject or quit vaping and other tobacco products.
Understanding an Overdose and How to Respond to One
This lesson plan helps students demonstrate age- and developmentally-appropriate health and safety practices related to recognizing the signs of an overdose and understanding the steps to respond effectively. It includes a variety of materials along with prompts for an educator to lead a 15–25-minute lesson.
Additional School Safety Resources
Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?
This fact sheet for parents and caregivers provides information on children's mental health including behavioral assessments, when to seek help, treatment options, and guidance on working with schools.
How to Prevent Cyberbullying: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Youth
This guide provides an overview of how and where cyberbullying occurs and actionable strategies that educators and families can implement to prevent cyberbullying.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional resources to support school safety and security.
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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future School Safety Community Bulletins, please contact us at SchoolSafety@cisa.dhs.gov.
SchoolSafety.gov Disclaimer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not endorse any individual, enterprise, product, or service. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described in this communication. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information outside of those respective Departments, and the opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS.
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