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14.1 Acting to Prevent Violence
"Awareness of the red flags that can signal violent behavior can save lives. Know the
conditions that breed violence, and protect your workplace from toxic conflicts."

Much of the violence we read or hear about in the news occurs in faraway places. But when it erupts at work, it's an entirely different type of tragedy because we are more affected by the circumstances surrounding the incident.

  1. It's impossible to prevent all workplace violence. But we can become more astute at predicting when and where violence can occur-and take sensible steps to lower its odds.

    Prevent violence at work by adopting a three-prong strategy:

    1. Analyze the threat when you perceive it.
    2. Enhance security to mitigate hazards.
    3. Know how to respond to a potentially violent situation.

  2. Profiles of high-risk employees vary greatly. What's more, it's easy to miss clues of violent behavior because a potentially dangerous individual's overall personality may seem relatively �normal.� Nevertheless, experts agree that violent employees tend to share a cluster of characteristics that include:

  3. - An intense interest in weapons;
    - A history of family violence, personality disorders, low self-worth, and/or depression;
    - An inability to manage anger and fear in acceptable ways;
    - A history of substance abuse;
    - Exposure to peers (often outside of work) who promote violence; and
    - A lack of a healthy support system such as loving family and friends.
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