|
Article Excerpt
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Workplace and school violence have received much attention over the past decade, due in part to highly publicized events, such as those relating to the U.S. Post Office, Columbine High School, and Virginia Tech. During this article, we will explore these topics from the aspect of crisis communication. This article will also explore aspects of the Stockholm Syndrome and psychopathology, which may be present in these situations.
Workplace Violence
Many people think of workplace violence as physical assault; however, it also includes such things as threatening behavior, verbal or written threats, harassment, verbal abuse, and, of course, physical attacks. Each year in the United States, approximately one million people become victims of nonfatal violent crime while working, and more than 1,500 employees are victims of murder, which is now the second-leading cause of workplace fatalities (BJS, 2002). In addition, an estimated 17,000 people kill themselves in the workplace annually. Interestingly, the risk of death for the 892,000 employees of the U.S. Postal Service is 2.5 times lower than that of all workers nationwide (CDC, 1992).
Given the above statistics, one might think that the business sector would have implemented contingencies; however, this doesn't seem to be the case. For example, fewer than 30% of businesses have programs to deter or deal with workplace trauma (Society for Human Resource Management, 2002). Furthermore, fewer than 60% of fortune 1000 industrial companies have an operational crisis management program in place (Management Review, 2002). Existing programs typically focus on "putting out fires" or "cleaning up the mess," while traumatic stress reactions from the victims and coworkers are generally ignored.
Assessing Workplace Violence
The key to understanding and responding to workplace violence is assessment. Fein & Vossekuil (1999) suggest three principles of threat assessment:
* Targeted violence is the result of an understandable and often discernable process of thinking and behavior
* Violence stems from an interaction among the potential attacker, past stressful events, a current situation, and the target(s)
* A key to threat assessment is identification of the person's "attack-related" behaviors
The six most common motivating factors for offenders to commit workplace violence include:
* Disgruntled employee
* Domestic (family) violence
* Robbery
* Fired employee or employee in fear of being fired
* Disgruntled customer
* On-strike employee or picket line violence
Policy Considerations
Workplace violence prevention general policies should include pre-employment screening, disciplinary procedures, emergency preparedness plans, threat assessment, and critical incident response strategies. Policies specifically need to address hiring issues, preemployment interviews and screening, supervision, and firing from the perspective of workplace violence prevention. Hiring should include background investigations, checking references and former employers, and developing other "sources of information" from the references and former employers.
Pre-employment interviews and screening protocols should be used in efforts to obtain the following information:
* Recent (past six months) history of violence toward self or others, threats, or arrests
* Past history of violence toward self or others, threats of violence, or arrests
* Family history of violence
* Current violent ideation
* Substance abuse
* Medical conditions and medications taken
* Access to and experience with weapons
* Social and environmental factors
* Previous intervention and response
Some possible interview questions may include:
* "Describe the best and the worst boss you ever had."
* "What are some of the things your last employer could have done to be more successful?"
* "How do you go about solving problems at work?"
* "Did you ever tell your previous employer any of your thoughts on ways they could improve?"
Supervision should focus on positive reinforcement and accolades for a job well done and corrective punishment for infractions. Errors should be corrected and efforts made to immediately deal with ignorance of or noncompliance with rules, policies, procedures, and law.
When an employee is fired, management should remember to: * Preserve dignity
* Not negotiate the terms
* Be direct
* Make the termination complete
* Choose the proper setting
* Choose the right time
Workplace Violence Communication Considerations
Even the best laid policies and procedures for preventing workplace violence cannot prevent all violence in the workplace; therefore, it is necessary for the communicator to understand characteristics that tend to contribute to violent employees and customers. In understanding some of these characteristics, the communicator can then properly assess the situation in order to apply the best communication strategies and tactics based on the situation (Lanceley, 2003; McMains & Mullins, 2006; Rogan, Hammer, & Van Zandt, 1997; Slatkin, 2005; Strentz, 2006; Vecchi, Van Hasselt, & Romano, 2005; Vecchi, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c).
The following inappropriate behaviors are often early indicators of potential hostility or violence. If these behaviors remain unchecked, they may escalate to higher levels.
* Unwelcome name-calling, obscene language, and other abusive behavior
* Intimidation through direct or veiled verbal threats
* Throwing objects in the workplace
* Physically touching another in an intimidating, malicious, or sexually harassing manner
* Physically intimidating others (e.g.,
obscene gestures or fist shaking)
In addition to inappropriate behavior, there are warning signs that usually relate to violence. Although the prediction of future violence is very inexact, these warning signs should be a cause for concern, as people with problems oftentimes display them:
* Irrational beliefs and ideas
* Externalization of blame
* Verbal or nonverbal intimidation or threats
* Fascination with weaponry or violence
* Expressed intent or plan to hurt self or others
* Un-reciprocated romantic involvement or obsession
* Causes fear in coworkers or customers/clients
* Displays unwarranted anger or hostility
* Increased stress at work or home
* Overly sensitive to criticism or complaints
* Intoxication from alcohol or other drugs
* Productivity, attendance, or punctuality problems
* Dramatic change in attitude or beliefs
* Feelings of being victimized
* Statements of hopelessness or helplessness
* Violence toward inanimate objects
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
School Violence
The shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in April 1999, the massacre at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007, and similar crimes have shocked the public and have given new urgency to addressing school violence. Even so, it should be noted that school shootings and other forms of school violence are not just a criminal justice problem. According to the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (1999):
They involve schools, families, and the communities. An adolescent comes...
|
