What are external threats?

External threats are problems that come from outside and can affect you or your group.

Imagine you have a treasure box full of your favorite toys. Now, think of it like your home or your team. An external threat is like someone trying to take your toys without asking, maybe a friend who wants to play with all the toys at once, or even a bigger kid from another group who wants to take them.

• A bigger kid coming to your playground and taking your favorite swing.
• A storm outside that knocks down your treehouse.
• A new group of friends wanting to join in, but they bring more toys than you have, and maybe take some of yours.

These are all external threats because they come from outside your little world. Sometimes, you can stop them by being ready, like bringing an umbrella for the storm or asking the bigger kid to share.

Just like you need to protect your toys, people and groups often need to protect themselves from external threats, too!