Editor’s Note: This article focuses on an important protective factor that every parent, educator, HR specialist, coach and faith leader can positively effect: social connection. The authors end with four recommendations that institutions and individuals can implement.
Social connection is a powerful yet overlooked tool in violence prevention. Research increasingly shows that loneliness and weak social ties correlate with vulnerability to grievance-based violence, while strong social networks can offer protective benefits. For individuals and communities, fostering connection and belonging constitutes a critical line of defense for both risk and protective factors associated with violence. This article reviews empirical findings, shares a recent averted case in New York, and provides practical strategies for law enforcement, schools, and communities as part of a comprehensive public health-informed approach to safety and violence prevention.
Social Connection, Loneliness, and Risk
Loneliness and social isolation are recognized as public‑health challenges with serious implications for mental health and public safety. A U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023) underscored how disconnection can affect mental well‑being and life outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic brought social isolation and loneliness into sharper focus as individuals’ social participation and connection declined. A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that nearly one in three high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic.
The United States has witnessed the tragic outcomes of individuals who use violence to address a grievance, express a bias, or advance an ideological cause. These tragedies include premeditated instances of school and workplace violence, hate crimes, political violence, and terrorism. Research indicates that some perpetrators of targeted violence and terrorism displayed some characteristics of social isolation. A 2023 report by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, Mass Attacks in Public Spaces: 2016-2020, indicated 29% of the 173 attackers exhibited evidence of social isolation prior to the attacks.
Yet, it is important to underscore that isolation is a risk factor and not a deterministic predictor of violent behavior. Most lonely individuals never commit violence, and targeted violence remains rare. A risk factor is a characteristic that may make an individual more susceptible to social harms, such as perpetrating targeted violence or terrorism. Risk factors are not predictive, and an individual with one or more risk factors may or may not engage in targeted violence or terrorism. Examples of evidence-based risk factors associated with increased likelihoods of violence include bullying, intimate partner violence, and suicidal ideation.
Protective factors, in contrast, help buffer against these risks, and may reduce the likelihood that a person experiencing challenges may engage in violence. For instance, protective factors can be positive influences and relationships in a person’s life that lead to social connectedness and engagement. These protective factors may decrease the likelihood that an individual will resort to violence and create a safety net around those individuals who exhibit concerning behavior. When communities promote protective factors, such as developing a culture of connection, risk factors for negative outcomes can be addressed and prevented. When individuals at risk for violent behavior are linked with supportive interventions, especially at early stages, their propensity for violence decreases and their well-being is enhanced.
Case Study: Averted Attack in New York
In a recently reported 2025 New York case, local law enforcement and school officials intervened when they were alerted to a young man’s threats of violence to his classmates. When an officer from the local sheriff’s office received the case, she made a checklist of all the young man’s risk factors: past threats, access to weapons, exposure to violence, a troubled home life, and high levels of depression and suicidal thinking.
Working with a multidisciplinary team including law enforcement, social services, education and community, they first made sure that the young man did not have access to weapons, Then, with the support from the School Resource Officer, they tackled the young man’s negative experience of bullying by engaging the students responsible. The young man and his family received care from counselors and therapists, along with regular check-ins the team. While challenges remained, two and a half years later, no violence had occurred, and the young man graduated from high school.
Four Strategies to Embed Social Connection into Prevention Work
Drawing together research and practical insight, the following strategies offer a blueprint for prevention professionals, schools, and communities to integrate social connection into their ongoing work:
- Institutionalize Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM)
Create interdisciplinary BTAM teams in schools, universities, and local communities. These teams systematically evaluate concerning and coordinate intervention plans using multidisciplinary case management. - Integrate Support Across Sectors
Prevention efforts are most effective when law enforcement is connected to mental health providers, school officials, religious leaders, and a range of community-based organizations. - Cultivate Bystander Awareness
Many perpetrators exhibit warning signs before violence occurs. Bystander reporting systems and educational campaigns help families, students, and coworkers recognize red flags and report them safely. - Build a Culture of Connection
Schools and youth organizations should prioritize efforts to build social connection and belonging within learning activities, curricula, and strategic institutional plans. These efforts can foster resilience and prevent multiple negative outcomes, not just violence.
Conclusion
As the U.S. Surgeon General observed, “Fostering social connection is not a singular solution to community violence; however, it does play an instrumental role in prevention and response.” Integrating connection-building efforts into threat assessment, school safety planning, and community engagement strengthens early interventions and improves outcomes. In short, fostering social connection is not just beneficial; it is essential to preventing violence and building community resilience.
VIOLENCE PREVENTION NOTICE: Warning signs often appear before violent acts. If someone you know makes general or specific threats, shows unusual interest in weapons, or fixates on previous violent incidents, you’re not overreacting by taking action. Ask direct questions and help them connect with professional support (or alert authorities if danger is immediate). Your intervention can prevent tragedy.
