3 Ways to Recognize and Prevent Workplace Violence

Recent random acts of violence, especially the San Bernardino shooting – during a work Christmas potluck party, no less – have left many people feeling paranoid and anxious.

“People are maybe thinking, ‘well if this can happen there, it can happen anywhere,’” Marie Davis, assistant manager of TriHealth EAP, explains.

She says, however, there are ways to potentially recognize – and hopefully prevent – workplace violence.

1. Have Employer to Team Member Conversations

Marie challenges employers to sit down with team members to discuss what team members should do if someone is making threats or appears disgruntled, or if someone is terminated and they’re making threats.

Violence may not get to a dangerous level if team members know these two things, she says.

2. Train Employees to Speak Up

Employers need to train their team members to speak up if something seems out of the ordinary. “There is nothing too small,” Marie says.

“We don’t want people to wait until it gets too big to handle.”

3. Pay Attention to Extremes

There is no formula to help predict who is likely to commit an act of violence. Stress can negatively impact a person’s actions, Marie says, but it doesn’t mean someone with a more stressful position is more likely to cause harm.

Marie says to watch for extreme changes in habits or behavior, such as:

• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Changes in behavior

These changes may be due to prescription medications or even the diagnosis of a mental illness.

“Although, I do want to say that somebody who does have a diagnosed mental health disorder is no more likely to act out and be violent than is anybody else,” Marie says. This is because those who get a proper diagnosis often get proper treatment.