Understanding the RAGE-V Threat Assessment Methodology

When tasked with ensuring physical security, the burden in the aftermath of workplace violence incidents that shatter our sense of safety weighs heavy.

Take, for instance, the harrowing mass shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, in 2022. Every incident like this feels like a personal failure to protect those under your care, be they customers or colleagues. As security professionals, we may lay awake questioning: Could the warning signs have been detected? How can we prevent these kinds of tragedies?

At Resolver’s Ascend conference for security professionals, Steve Powers, a Senior Manager of Kroll’s Enterprise Security Risk Management practice, shared his invaluable perspectives on workplace violence prevention strategies. With a career spanning from the Marines to threat management expert, Powers has also contributed to structured violence risk assessment methodologies, making him an invaluable contributor to this guide.

Dive into Powers’ insights on the Risk Assessment Guideline Elements for Violence (RAGE-V), a methodology he advocates for as a game-changer in threat management. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the RAGE-V threat methodology’s structured approach to identifying and mitigating potential threats in an increasingly intertwined physical and digital world.

Read on as we answer common questions about the RAGE-V threat methodology, including:

• What is RAGE-V?
• What risk factors does RAGE-V look at?
• What are the key steps in the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology?
• How does RAGE-V compare to other threat assessment methodologies?
• How can organizations implement RAGE-V for their threat management program?
• What training is offered for the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology?

What is RAGE-V?

RAGE-V serves as a vital tool in threat assessment, providing a standardized approach to delivering workplace violence prevention. “RAGE-V is an approach designed to assist individuals and organizations in evaluating the potential risk of future violence from known individuals,” Powers explains.

This approach has been carved out of a vast expanse of research and on-the-ground expertise, tailored to fit the real and evolving landscape of workplace violence. “RAGE-V allows you to look at the full spectrum of violence indicators, rather than a snapshot,” explains Powers. It’s a framework designed for depth and breadth, acknowledging that risk isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario and that the context can be just as critical as the content.

Developed with precision by the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), RAGE-V cuts through the guesswork, replacing gut feelings with a systematic roadmap. This is crucial in our digital age, where threats can be as opaque as they are overt. As Powers notes, “It’s the difference between just knowing the facts and understanding what they could lead to.” The RAGE-V threat assessment methodology replaces gut feelings with a systematic roadmap. This is crucial in our digital age, where threats can be as opaque as they are overt. 

What risk factors does RAGE-V look at?

“RAGE-V isn’t just about ticking boxes,” says Powers. “It’s about understanding the story behind those boxes. It’s the difference between reading a person’s history and predicting their future.” The applicability of these considerations may vary depending on the situation, context, and discipline of the individual assessor, as well as the specific circumstances and questions for evaluation.

“Historically and tragically, there were three methods of assessing whether someone might be a threat: Yes, no, and nothing,” says Powers. “The value of the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology is that it leaves you a tremendous range of assessment factors.” These include an individual’s:

• Criminal history and civil justice history, as well as past involvement in illegal activities
• Employment-related stressors
• Substance abuse issues
• Behavioral patterns indicative of potential violence, such as stalking behaviors or mental health issues
• Reference groups, heroes, affiliations

By scrutinizing these diverse elements, Powers explains how RAGE-V’s focus on behavioral patterns and triggers distinguishes it from other threat methodologies that could indicate an individual’s progression toward violence.

What are the key steps in the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology?

Each of the six steps in the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology plays a crucial role in evaluating and mitigating potential violence risks.

1. Intake & Reporting: Critical for early identification of potential threats, the first step is gathering information through various channels, such as hotlines, emails, or direct reports. Ensuring you have a centralized, accessible incident reporting tool can make this process much smoother and keep your data clean.
2. Initial Assessment: Conduct a fast screening or incident triage to determine if immediate action is required or if the case should be added to an existing one or necessitate the creation of a new case. This step ensures a prompt response to potential threats.
3. Fact-finding: Investigate the subject’s background, including interviews with the victim/target and others, to understand behavior and context and get a more complete picture of the threat.
4. Analysis: Process various variables such as risk factors, inhibitors or stabilizers, and potential triggers to understand the potential for violence and plan interventions. Having a threat protection tool that delivers easily digestible reports of the information you’ve collected can improve the accuracy of your threat analysis.
5. Risk Categorization: Use objective instruments and informed opinions to categorize the level of risk. This step is crucial for determining the severity of the threat and the necessary response level.
6. Outcomes: Formulate an action plan and implement interventions to address the identified issues. This is where your threat assessment leads to measured and practical steps to mitigate risks.

Powers emphasizes that the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology’s standardized, data-driven approach “is essential for liability and takes out bias and personal opinions. It focuses on the process, not the individual,” helping security teams better predict potential risks of physical violence.

How does RAGE-V compare to other threat assessment methodologies?

As many security professionals have experienced, manual processes, such as checklists and legacy threat assessment methodologies, can limit information and the effectiveness of threat investigations, especially when working cross-functionally. “In traditional settings, HR’s protective stance is understandable, yet it can limit a security investigator’s access to crucial context,” Powers explains. Security investigators might be challenged to retrieve details of the investigation or performance-related issues of the person being interviewed.

To illustrate the difference RAGE-V brings to the table, let’s consider its standout features against other methodologies:

Immediate notification

RAGE-V’s approach encourages organizations to “involve security teams right off the bat,” says Powers. “It’s about getting your hands on the pulse of the situation firsthand, not secondhand.” This direct approach could catalyze early intervention and, potentially, prevention.

In-depth interviews over checklists

Powers champions deeper engagement, “When you sit down with the person of interest, you’re not just ticking off a list — you’re understanding the human story unfolding. That’s where the power of the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology lies.” Not doing so, he adds, “trivializes the dangerousness of the situation. When tragic events happen, it’s a surprise to the security department because nobody bothered to tell them.”

Autonomy in assessment

Unlike models like WAVR-21, where structured professional psychological judgment is paramount, RAGE-V empowers practitioners with a “flexible framework that adapts to the unique contours of each potential threat.” The RAGE-V threat assessment methodology emphasizes autonomy and consistency, says Powers, by providing a guided yet flexible framework that allows professionals, irrespective of extensive psychological backgrounds, to assess the nuances of individual cases.

User-friendly for all levels

With RAGE-V, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran in security — it’s designed for you to take the reins,” says Powers. This democratization of threat assessments levels the playing field, ensuring all relevant team members can contribute meaningfully to risk evaluation.

Powers summarizes the difference: “It’s about shifting from a siloed to a collaborative approach. RAGE-V doesn’t just change how we assess — it changes how we come together to protect our people.”

Read: The Essential Guide to Threat Assessments in Corporate Security

How can organizations implement RAGE-V for their threat management program?

Rolling out the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology within your organization’s threat management program is a strategic process that hinges on thorough understanding, training, and integration. Here’s a roadmap to navigate this implementation:

• Build Foundational Knowledge: Start with a thorough understanding of the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology, its components, stages, and the risk factors it assesses to get to the Why of threat assessments. As Powers emphasizes, “It’s not just about knowing what to do; it’s understanding why you’re doing it.”
• Provide Comprehensive Training: Powers underscores the importance of a structured and informed implementation for seamless integration of RAGE-V into existing threat management programs, including tailored training for those involved in the assessment process.
• Leverage Technology: An end-to-end case management system that aligns with RAGE-V principles can centralize documentation, monitor risk factor changes, and support continuous evaluation. Powers advocates for leveraging technology in addition to human expertise to enhance threat assessment.
• Embrace Continuous Learning: Keep your security team updated with regular training sessions on evolving methodologies and potential RAGE-V updates.
• Foster Collaboration: Information sharing is essential for the successful implementation of the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology. Organizations should prioritize policy adjustments so that security teams can ethically make use of the information gathered in potential persons of interest investigations from departments like HR or Legal.
• Align with Organizational Strategy: Incorporate RAGE-V into your organization’s broader security strategy to ensure a unified approach to threat management. Powers underscores that alignment and coherence in strategy are key to effective security management.

What training is offered for the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology?

One of the key strengths of the RAGE-V threat methodology lies in its ability to enable teams to conduct complete, high-quality threat assessments independently. With comprehensive training, practitioners gain the necessary knowledge and confidence to become self-sufficient experts in threat assessment. This self-sufficiency enhances the organization’s security posture and fosters a proactive and efficient approach to risk management.

Organizational Threat Management training equips corporate security teams with essential knowledge and skills to effectively handle potential threats. Led by Resolver’s parent company, Kroll, experienced threat management experts cover a wide range of key areas, including:

• Defining what constitutes a threat to an organization
• Early detection of potential violence indicators
• How to identify behaviors, communications, and types of targeting that may pose threats.

Additionally, the program focuses on best practices in threat reporting, investigation, and assessment, including RAGE-V. Participants learn about the nuances of threat actor behavior, including escalation and targeting, and how factors such as mental health and substance abuse can influence threats.

How Resolver connects with RAGE-V for threat assessment consistency

By empowering security practitioners with common terminology and a systematic approach to enhance workplace safety confidently and with less bias, we can ultimately prevent incidents and deliver safer environments. Resolver facilitates seamless integration between RAGE-V, human expertise, and technology for best-in-class threat investigations. Consolidating security risk data in one location, Resolver’s Threat Protection Software eliminates the need to navigate multiple systems, allowing teams to conduct threat assessments and investigations quickly and efficiently.

Alongside Resolver’s affiliation with Kroll’s Security Risk discipline, teams will benefit from expert training in threat management strategies and tools, including the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology. We support organizations in independently completing high-quality threat assessments, empowering teams with the knowledge and confidence to become self-sufficient practitioners. In addition to the human layer, our software helps you streamline internal processes and enhance threat prevention and mitigation strategies. Resolver’s platform allows teams to consolidate security risk data, conduct threat assessments, and manage investigations in one centralized location. The platform’s built-in workflows facilitate task automation, reminders, and seamless team collaboration for efficient, proactive security operations.

To discover the value of Resolver’s Threat Protection solution, including how it integrates with the RAGE-V threat assessment methodology, tune into our webinar replay of “Fortifying Your Defense: A Comprehensive Approach to Workplace Violence Prevention,” or request a custom demo today.