Tool Kit

The following make up the WAVR-21 V3 “tools”:

  • The Manual: The extensive WAVR manual (see Table of Contents on this site) consists of a description of each of the WAVR-21 items and their coding criteria, and a succinct explanation of how each item relates to workplace or campus violence risk. Included also are program development and general prevention principles, a user’s guide, the psychodynamics of targeted violence, interviewing strategies, bias issues, case examples and case studies. The V3 manual has been greatly expanded in content.
  • Worksheet: The 21-item Worksheet consists of the risk indicator definitions and inquiry questions for coding the WAVR factors, with sections for note taking. Items are coded as either absent, present, or prominent, and for recent change. The Worksheet includes a format for structuring assessment reports and operational definitions for four “Levels of Concern”: low, moderate, high, and imminent.
  • Grid: The Grid is a one-page summary of the Worksheet, providing a quick reference for viewing the coding and risk status of a case. The Grid can be very useful as a graphic for team discussions, and for providing senior management with an evidence-based “executive summary” of a current case scenario – helping to keep conversations and decision-making focused on objective criteria.
  • Intake and Documentation Questionnaire: This form, greatly expanded from the V2 Intake form, documents identifying information and raw case data – the “who, what, when, where, and how” of incidents – chronologies of threat scenarios, and actions taken. The inquiry questions on the form relate directly to the data needed to complete the coding for the risk and protective factors on the Worksheet. The form may also serve as a document of an organization’s due diligence in response to threat cases.
  • The WAVR Digital Options:

    License for internal use.
    The WAVR-21 V3 content may be licensed for internal use. This includes all the V3 content – the Intake and Documentation Questionnaire, the Worksheet, the summary Grid, User’s Guide, and the third edition manual in its entirety. Private corporations, colleges, universities, and governmental agencies often choose this digital option versus the paper/hard copy manual and forms. Licensed users of the WAVR-21 V3 intellectual property may use the content – manual and all forms – in any user-determined format and application design. However, the material content of the WAVR-21 cannot be changed in any manner, and both the trademark and attribution to the developers of the WAVR-21 must be maintained within all users’ systems. This option allows for maximum creativity and security for licensees, as well as legal protection for the WAVR-21 developers as the licensor. Contact Dr. Stephen White at swhite@wtsglobal.com for further information on licensing this digital option.

    License the application.
    The WAVR-21 App, a software version of the WAVR-21-V3, is also available for licensing through Resolver, as an optional component of its enterprise security data management platform: https://www.resolver.com/apps/threat-assessment-software/. This electronic version of the WAVR includes the V3 content in its entirety – the Intake and Documentation Questionnaire, the Worksheet, the Grid, a User’s Guide, and the third edition manual.

Note on replacing the Short Forms: The Short Form, “Violence Risk”, is no longer included in the revised manual. The Short Form “Protect” has been incorporated within the Worksheet and manual. The authors do not consider the Short Forms obsolete, but have redesigned the Worksheet to be appropriate for all users. Users at all levels of screening, assessment, and decision making must remain mindful of the limits of their qualifications when engaging in threat management practice.