Recognizing Early Warning Signals

While there is no reliable way to predict who might commit an act of violence, there might be a pattern of behavior that could give rise to concerns.  Examples of these types of behaviors are:

  • Direct or veiled verbal threats of harm.
  • Intimidation of others by words or actions.
  • Carrying a concealed weapon or flashing a weapon to test reactions.
  • Hypersensitivity or extreme suspiciousness.
  • Extreme moral righteousness.
  • Unable to take criticism of job performance.
  • Holds a grudge, especially against a supervisor.
  • Often verbalizes hope for something to happen to the person against whom the employee has the grudge.
  • Expression of extreme desperation over recent problems.
  • History of violent behavior.
  • Extreme interest in weapons and their destructive power to people.
  • Fascination with incidents of workplace violence and approval of the use of violence under similar circumstances.
  • Intentional disregard for the safety of others.
  • Destruction of property.

No one signal alone should cause concern but a combination of these items should be a cause for concern and action.

Employees wishing to report incidents and those to whom incidents are reported should provide and record the following types of information:

Who - Who was the perpetrator of the incident and who else was present as a witness to the incident?
What  - Exactly what happened? The "what" of a report includes all of the facts and may also include your assessment of those facts.
When- When did the incident occur? If there were smaller events leading up to the main incident you are describing, when did those events occur?
Where-Where did this incident happen?

Suggested Guidelines-Do's and Don’ts

If confronted with a situation in which you fear that there may be a threat of violence, the following guidelines may be of assistance in dealing with the person:

DO project calmness: move and speak slowly, quietly and confidently.
DO focus your attention on the other person to let them know you are interested in what they have to say.
DO maintain a relaxed yet attentive posture and position yourself at a right angle rather than directly in front of the other person.
DO accept criticism in a positive way. When a complaint might be true, use statements like "You are probably right" or "Maybe I made an error." If the criticism           seems unwarranted, ask clarifying questions.   
DO acknowledge the feelings of the other person. Indicate that you can see he or she is upset.

 

DO NOT use styles of communication which generate hostility such as apathy, brush off, coldness, going strictly by the rules, or giving the run-around.
DO NOT reject all of the person's demands from the start.
DO NOT make sudden movements which can be seen as threatening. Notice the tone, volume and rate of your speech.
DO NOT challenge, threaten, or dare the person. Never belittle the person or make him or her feel foolish.
DO NOT try to make the situation seem less serious than it is.
DO NOT invade the person’s personal space. Make sure there is a space of 3' to 6' between you and the other person.