Threat Assessment and Management Strategies: Identifying the Howlers and Hunters

by Frederick S. Calhoun

The field of threat assessment and the research surrounding it have exploded since the first edition of Threat Assessment and Management Strategies: Identifying the Howlers and Hunters. To reflect those changes, this second edition contains more than 100 new pages of material, including several new chapters, charts, and illustrations, as well as updated cases. The book has been reorganized into two parts. The first part offers the authors current thinking on how to conduct practical and effective threat management processes. The second provides an in-depth analysis of how howlers and hunters behave and how understanding those behaviors can be used to manage each type of problem individual. This new edition draws on the latest research, as well as ideas and concepts from the authors previous books. It integrates the sum of their careers in threat management both their individual experiences managing problem situations and their research and writing on the topic into a single volume. As in each of their previous books, it focuses on operationally effective and practical methods for managing problem situations. This book also covers special issues in threat management, exploring the relationship between the law and the intimacy effect as well as different ways to identify, assess, and manage howlers and hunters. Each chapter concludes with a real-life situation analysis relevant to the subject under focus. Drawing upon the latest research and on the previous work of its authors, Threat Assessment and Management Strategies, Second Edition provides a complete guide to setting up successful threat management processes. It approaches the presented strategies as guidelines rather than prescriptions, emphasizing that threat managers must use their intelligence and originality to modify strategies as necessary to suit each situation.

280 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2008

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is on the preparatory read list for the "Certified Threat Manager" exam. So, literally required reading for those in the field.

I found the author's detailed narrative and many case studies on hunters and howlers both interesting and useful - particularly the taxonomy by motive/intent. However, I believe they strained to present an artificial hard line between the two types. It is repeatedly stated in the book that "howlers rarely hunt and hunters rarely howl". But many of the case examples presented demonstrate that, although the crossover in either direction may not be frequent, a shift from howler to hunter is definitely not "rare". Despite the repeated assertion of clear behavioral divides, the authors themselves make clear (while avoiding explicit discussion of the matter) that there exists a substantial area of behavioral overlap. Particularly in the extended narrative on the "intimacy effect", where they argue in essence that the closer the personal relationship between the howler and the target, the more likely it is that the howler becomes a hunter. And in the discussion of the "last straw syndrome", they make it clear that a trigger - often known only to the individual - can result in an immediate shift of a howler to a hunter in attack mode.

I believe the authors recognize this issue, but in the strength of their intent to put across the howler vs hunter concept they intentionally avoid/neglect a proper discussion of the grey zone, its dangers, and how different situations can result in shifts from howler to hunter at varying intensities.

The other gripe I have with this book is that, even though this second edition was updated in 2016, the 'net and social media as a venue for threat dissemination and leakage by both howlers and hunters is neglected completely. Despite the usefulness of this book in general, this significantly undermines the presentation of the concept in practical terms.

Still, required reading.

[Rachel Meints · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent foundational piece if you work in threat assessment and management.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't find anything about this earth shattering or grand ... It was an exam prep book and most of this content I've heard on a loop for years. If you're new to the TA/TM world though, this is a must read. I can't say I loved how this is organized though.