Predicting the Unpredictable: Warning Signs of Workplace Violence

Aug 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Stephanie Silk

Each week more than 33,000 workers are assaulted on the job. Identifying and handling a threatening situation in the workplace can save lives, so recognizing early the behaviors that may lead to violence is vital. Michael H. Corcoran, Ph.D., president of Henley-Putnam University, presents workshops that teach employees all over the United States about what signs to look for in possible workplace violence incidents. The college offers law enforcement, military, the intelligence community and private industry professionals online education in the strategic security industry.

#8220;The biggest thing that people ask me for is a magic check-off list. But there is no such thing, because if there was one, you could go over the list and ignore the person who only has 19 out of 20 traits,” Corcoran says.

Corcoran says there is no single trait to be concerned about, rather it is important to keep an eye out for the combination of three things.

• “Any change in behavior — is he/she more withdrawn? He/she doesn't want to go to lunch, or to company functions? Or maybe the opposite — he/she is suddenly more outgoing and including themselves in everything. Something has to be going on in his/her life for the behavior to change.”

• “How does he/she come across in reference to everyone else? There has to be others involved for it to cause problems. If that person has only upset one person, it's not enough because then the violence is just directed at them personally, and he/she is not a workplace violence perpetrator,” he says.

• “Mix those with the environment. If a person is violent in the home, you can't say that that counts as a workplace violence threat.”

“So, identify the perpetrator, the victim and the environment, and show a connection between those things.”

He says to try to understand and weigh various factors to better determine the potential for violence a person possesses, as well as to develop a plan on how to approach and deal with them when forced to do so. He emphasizes that the things on all the lists are just signs and that they are good to be aware of. “You have to have probable cause, just like a police officer. You can't just have concepts,” Corcoran says.

THE MOST COMMON SEQUENCE OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

1. A person experiences distress, and the individual perceives there is no resolution.

2. His problems offer no viable alternatives and so he begins to narrow his focus in order to look for easy controls.

3. Rationalization begins in order to justify the position.

4. All of his problems are because of others or outside sources for which he obviously has no control.

5. This person will now believe he has a need to protect himself and that he is alone in his endeavors.

6. Thus he seems to become more egocentric and self-centered… to the exclusion of others.

7. Thoughts of violent acts become the belief as the only possible way to gain either control or to be heard.

8. He may begin talking of such acts or demonstrate obvious hostile thoughts.

9. The violent act is either attempted or committed.

THE THREAT ASSESSMENT FORMULA: Personality + Environment + Current Mental State × Past Behaviors = RISK

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