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VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Charlotte Regional Safety & Health Conference
Alasdair Mackenzie
April 21, 2016
“...almost the kind of event that’s impossible to prevent and impossible to predict.’’
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Prevention vs. Prediction
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The cost of workplace violence prevention
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Strangers Customers
Employees Intimate
Partners
Type 1
Type 3 Type 4
Type 2
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“..acts or threat of physical violence, or physically intimidating behavior or language which is intended or makes another individual reasonably fear for his/her safety.”
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WHAT IS VIOLENCE?
Violence is:
•any actual, attempted, or planned injury of other people;
•behavior that causes other people to reasonably fear for
their health or safety;
•is intentional;
•non-consenting; and
•without lawful authority.
•From Threat Assessment and Threat Management, J. Reid Meloy, Stephen D. Hart & Jens Hoffmann
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Two distinct modes of violence
Affective
•Intense ANS arousal
•Highly emotional (hot blooded)
•Reactive & Immediate (defensive)
•Time limited
•Goal is threat reduction
Predatory
•Minimal or no ANS
•No conscious emotion (cold blooded)
•Planned & purposeful (offensive)
•Absence of imminent threat
•Premeditated
•Goal oriented
“All violent behavior is caused by the
need to establish control” James S. Cawood, Michael Corcoran, 2009
“All violence is an attempt to achieve
justice” James Gilligan, Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic , 1997
“Men revolt not when they are hungry but
when they are wronged” Crane Briton . The Anatomy of Revolution, 1938
“Yellow flag” behaviors
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•Threats
•Aggression
•Bullying/intimidation
•Noncompliance with limits & boundaries
•Being argumentative and challenging authority
•Regularly disregarding policies and procedures
•Suicidal threats
•Domestic Violence
•Refusing to take responsibility for actions (and blame others)
•Noticeable change in behavior
“Bystander Effect” Dealing with – or Reporting – “Unacceptable Behavior”
(2009 Journal of the International Ombudsman Association)
Why people don’t report? • Fear of loss of relationships – personal & professional • Fear of reprisal - “snitches get stitches” • Insufficient evidence - need conclusive proof
Why people do report? Perceptions of the organization and managers Credible complaint system seen as safe and accessible Fairness in adjudication process Perception that offender will be punished (but not draconian measures)
Foster a community of caring. Understand there are benefits to providing
assistance. The more they identify with the group the more likely to report
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Active Shooter An individual actively engaged
in killing or attempting to kill
people in a populated area.
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Active Shooter Facts
• High impact event, but LOW frequency
• Average Active Shooting event lasts 12 minutes – Washington Navy Yard event lasted an hour before ended by police. 69% - 5 min or less.
• 60% of events are over before police arrived.
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Active Shooters
Rarely sudden, impulsive attacks
They do not just snap!
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Pathway to violence
Grievance
Ideation
Research/
Planning
Calhoun and Weston, “Contemporary Threat
Management” (2003)
Attack
Breach
Preparation
!?!!@
Predatory Violence Warning Behaviors
• Pathway
• Fixation
• Identification
• Novel Aggression
• Energy Burst
• Leakage
• Directly communicated threat
• Last resort 20
Indicators of radicalization
• Recent change in personality or physical appearance
• Cuts ties w/family and friends • Change in social affiliations • Hatred/intolerance of those not sharing beliefs • Stop participating in activities they enjoyed
prior • Adheres to extreme ideological doctrine • “Argument ceases and preaching begins” • Loss of humor
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Identification
Assessment
Management
Threat Assessment
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PERSON OF
CONCERN
TARGET
SETTING SITUATION
• Removing silos of information
• Multi-disciplinary approach
• Training employees/managers
• Effective outreach program
• Continued monitoring of threat
• Engaging law enforcement/court system
• Mental health partnerships
• “Hope for the best ~ plan for the worst”
Managing Threats of Violence
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