CTM Exam – Study Guide, Key Concepts & Certification Preparation
Anchors - ANS ✔✔factors that provide stability; could be used to provide support or stability to
a subject who is struggling or represent reasons that an individual would not engage in targeted
violence (de Becker, 1997).
Approach Behavior - ANS ✔✔This refers to the type, frequency and intensity of the subject's
attempts to be physically proximal (close) to the target. Approach behavior includes successful
and unsuccessful attempts to approach the target.
Attack - ANS ✔✔Carrying out (or attempting to carry out) the intended violence against the
target
(Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Attack Related Behaviors - ANS ✔✔Specific behaviors that are needed in order to launch a
physical assault on a target. These behaviors are displayed as steps on the pathway to violence
(Calhoun & Weston, 2009).
Behavioral Indicator - ANS ✔✔An observable action that provides evidence of an underlying
element that may be relevant to a threat assessment and management case; for example, a
subject's actions (e.g., talking to himself or herself) might lead the threat assessor to believe the
person has a mental health disorder that influences the level of threat posed by that individual
(Bulling et al., 2008).
Behavioral Threat Assessment - ANS ✔✔Threat assessment orientation based on the idea that
the subject will exhibit identifiable behaviors indicating the intent to commit an act of targeted
of violence
(Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
,Behaviors of Concern - ANS ✔✔observable, identifiable behaviors that an individual exhibits
while he or she is progressing on the pathway of violence (Calhoun &Weston, 2003).
Black Swan Event - ANS ✔✔An event that is rare, predictable only in retrospect, with extreme
impacts (Meloy,2011; Talib, 2007).
Breach - ANS ✔✔a situation where usual security measures have been circumvented (Calhoun
& Weston, 2003).
Bunkers - ANS ✔✔term linked to the common use of the phrase "bunker mentality," in which an
individual or group becomes defensive and surrounded by fortifications (real and virtual) to
keep information in or detractors out. Adopting a bunker mentality in threat assessment can
lead to under- or overestimation of risk
(Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Case Dynamics - ANS ✔✔The continuous interaction between what is known and unknown in a
particular case, and the evolving assessments used to determine the appropriate protective
response at any given point in time (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Chain of Custody - ANS ✔✔This is a process used to document the chronological history of
evidence to maintain
the security, integrity and accountability of its handling.
CirCon Factors - ANS ✔✔acronym for "circumstances, content and contextual factors" related to
a subject's inappropriate communication or contact (Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Cognitive Complexity - ANS ✔✔This is a psychological construct that refers to a person's ability
to perceive nuances or subtle differences. A person who has high cognitive complexity is
sensitive to small changes in a task, activity, behavior or the environment; someone with low
, cognitive complexity is less likely to detect these differences. Sometimes this is referred to as
intuition or street smarts. A person may have high cognitive
complexity but little formal education (Scott, 1962).
Communication Channels - ANS ✔✔The media used to transmit messages. Threat assessment
uses this phrase when referring to the ways that information about threatening individuals can
be gained by threat assessment teams (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Content Factors - ANS ✔✔The information contained and conveyed in the words, style and
method of a threat (Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Criminal Intelligence - ANS ✔✔This phrase refers to any information which is collected,
analyzed, or distributed for use in inhibiting or monitoring criminal activity (International
Association of Chiefs of Police National Law Enforcement Policy Center, 1998)
Domino Effect - ANS ✔✔In threat assessment and management, it is often used to describe the
tendency for the loss of one inhibitor
to affect other aspects of a subject's life and create a downward spiral where other inhibitors
are compromised as well (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Energy Burst - ANS ✔✔part of the pathway to violence. This is a preattack increase in intensity
(frequency and/or duration) or variety of warning behaviors, usually indicating an attack is
imminent (Meloy, 2011).
Environmental Influences - ANS ✔✔The sum of background factors (peer group, security, access
to weapons, etc.) affecting the situation of both the subject and the target. This includes
organizational or cultural factors that impact tolerance or reporting of behaviors on the pathway
to violence (Kiilakoski & Oksanen, 2011).
Anchors - ANS ✔✔factors that provide stability; could be used to provide support or stability to
a subject who is struggling or represent reasons that an individual would not engage in targeted
violence (de Becker, 1997).
Approach Behavior - ANS ✔✔This refers to the type, frequency and intensity of the subject's
attempts to be physically proximal (close) to the target. Approach behavior includes successful
and unsuccessful attempts to approach the target.
Attack - ANS ✔✔Carrying out (or attempting to carry out) the intended violence against the
target
(Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Attack Related Behaviors - ANS ✔✔Specific behaviors that are needed in order to launch a
physical assault on a target. These behaviors are displayed as steps on the pathway to violence
(Calhoun & Weston, 2009).
Behavioral Indicator - ANS ✔✔An observable action that provides evidence of an underlying
element that may be relevant to a threat assessment and management case; for example, a
subject's actions (e.g., talking to himself or herself) might lead the threat assessor to believe the
person has a mental health disorder that influences the level of threat posed by that individual
(Bulling et al., 2008).
Behavioral Threat Assessment - ANS ✔✔Threat assessment orientation based on the idea that
the subject will exhibit identifiable behaviors indicating the intent to commit an act of targeted
of violence
(Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
,Behaviors of Concern - ANS ✔✔observable, identifiable behaviors that an individual exhibits
while he or she is progressing on the pathway of violence (Calhoun &Weston, 2003).
Black Swan Event - ANS ✔✔An event that is rare, predictable only in retrospect, with extreme
impacts (Meloy,2011; Talib, 2007).
Breach - ANS ✔✔a situation where usual security measures have been circumvented (Calhoun
& Weston, 2003).
Bunkers - ANS ✔✔term linked to the common use of the phrase "bunker mentality," in which an
individual or group becomes defensive and surrounded by fortifications (real and virtual) to
keep information in or detractors out. Adopting a bunker mentality in threat assessment can
lead to under- or overestimation of risk
(Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Case Dynamics - ANS ✔✔The continuous interaction between what is known and unknown in a
particular case, and the evolving assessments used to determine the appropriate protective
response at any given point in time (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Chain of Custody - ANS ✔✔This is a process used to document the chronological history of
evidence to maintain
the security, integrity and accountability of its handling.
CirCon Factors - ANS ✔✔acronym for "circumstances, content and contextual factors" related to
a subject's inappropriate communication or contact (Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Cognitive Complexity - ANS ✔✔This is a psychological construct that refers to a person's ability
to perceive nuances or subtle differences. A person who has high cognitive complexity is
sensitive to small changes in a task, activity, behavior or the environment; someone with low
, cognitive complexity is less likely to detect these differences. Sometimes this is referred to as
intuition or street smarts. A person may have high cognitive
complexity but little formal education (Scott, 1962).
Communication Channels - ANS ✔✔The media used to transmit messages. Threat assessment
uses this phrase when referring to the ways that information about threatening individuals can
be gained by threat assessment teams (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Content Factors - ANS ✔✔The information contained and conveyed in the words, style and
method of a threat (Calhoun & Weston, 2003).
Criminal Intelligence - ANS ✔✔This phrase refers to any information which is collected,
analyzed, or distributed for use in inhibiting or monitoring criminal activity (International
Association of Chiefs of Police National Law Enforcement Policy Center, 1998)
Domino Effect - ANS ✔✔In threat assessment and management, it is often used to describe the
tendency for the loss of one inhibitor
to affect other aspects of a subject's life and create a downward spiral where other inhibitors
are compromised as well (Calhoun & Weston, 2012).
Energy Burst - ANS ✔✔part of the pathway to violence. This is a preattack increase in intensity
(frequency and/or duration) or variety of warning behaviors, usually indicating an attack is
imminent (Meloy, 2011).
Environmental Influences - ANS ✔✔The sum of background factors (peer group, security, access
to weapons, etc.) affecting the situation of both the subject and the target. This includes
organizational or cultural factors that impact tolerance or reporting of behaviors on the pathway
to violence (Kiilakoski & Oksanen, 2011).
