In this presentation, we are joined by the psychologists behind the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk (WAVR-21) guide to discuss the best practices in responding to and preventing workplace violence.

2. Threat Assessments 101:
Understanding the Red Flags of Workplace Violence

3. Stephen G. White, PhD
President, Work Trauma Services
Co-author of the WAVR-21
swhite@wtsglobal.com
Reid Meloy, PhD
Forensic Psychologist
Co-author of the WAVR-21
DrReidMeloy.com
Meet our Hosts

4. Agenda ▪ Context for Threat Assessment
▪ An Illustrative Case
▪ What is the Pathway to Violence?
▪ Best Practices in Threat Assessments
▪ Do’s and Don’ts – Strategic Issues
▪ Structured Assessment Guides
▪ The WAVR-21 V3
▪ Q&A Session

5. A great deal has been learned about
individual and organizational risk factors.
Protocols exist: Threat scenarios can be
assessed and managed safely.
Violence risk is complex but comprehensible.

6. An Illustrative Case: The “Senseless Supervisor”
Agnes, a young associate in the client group, requests an urgent meeting with her HR manager. Entering the office,
she is obviously very anxious and troubled. Near tears, Agnes discloses, “This is very hard for me but I can’t keep it to
myself any longer. I have been having an affair with Jerry, my manager. He’s married, you know, and I am trying to get
out of our relationship. But he has threatened me and says things like, ‘If I can’t have you, nobody will’.”
Agnes confides that Jerry alludes to having firearms, and has physically abused his wife in the past. The police have
been to their house. Agnes adds that some of the coworkers in their department are aware of the personal relationship
between the two of them. Some fear for her safety as well as their own, and some resent her for their perception of
“favors” that Jerry has extended to her. The HR manager knows that Jerry is rumored to be manipulative and
intimidating; an all-around selfish, dishonest bully. He may have driven his previous boss to quit. He does what he
wants and has never been consistently disciplined. Agnes claims, “He told me if he loses his job over this, he’ll have
nothing left. I'm scared.”
Agnes asks that Jerry will never know that she revealed all this stuff. As she rushes out the door she adds, “He drinks
too much. I’m afraid his life is falling apart.”
Tearfully she exclaims, “I hope I don’t lose my job over this.”

7. Responding to the “Senseless Supervisor”
▪ How would you estimate Jerry’s risk for violence?
▪ How did you arrive at this conclusion?
▪ How does your organization assess violence risk?
▪ What do you see as viable response alternatives?
▪ Can your current practice withstand scrutiny?

8. Recognize Important Contextual Factors
▪ A “cultural script” for notorious violence: “copy cats”
▪ Fear & disruption readily follow threats
▪ Low probability catastrophic events: the “haystack”

9. The Pathway to Violence
The “Grievance”
Violent Ideation
Research & Planning the Attack
Pre-attack Preparation
Probing & Breaches
Attack
Perpetrators don’t “snap”… they decide.

10. Elements of a Successful Threat Management Program
Violence
prevention
policy
Threat
management
team
Reporting and
response
process
Organization
wide
awareness

11. Common Program and Response Challenges
The Silo
Effect
Missing a hot
one vs. over
responding to
“nothing
burgers”
The Hasty
Termination
Unintended
Consequences

12. Strategic
Guidelines
for
Case
Management
1. Slow down, assess first (unless “imminent”)
2. Anticipate triggering events
3. Protect dignity, avoid shaming
4. Avoid “going to war” if possible
5. Use evidence-based assessment tools
6. Judgment will always be necessary
7. “Managing behaviors of concern in the
present”

13. Inquiry and Intervention Options
▪ Background checks & investigations, social media
▪ Collateral interviews with witnesses, managers, etc.
▪ Interview with subject-employee
▪ Professional risk assessment & defusing actions
▪ Protective orders
▪ Heightened security measures
▪ Law enforcement assistance, arrest & detention
▪ Treatment - voluntary or involuntary
▪ Case-appropriate separation steps & severance packs
No cookbook. Judgment and deliberation are necessary!

14. Who should assess what?
▪ A continuum of expertise – no clear line
▪ Inter-disciplinary specialization
▪ Risk screening vs. risk assessment
▪ Professional assessment: indirect vs direct
“When in doubt, confer”

15. Structured Professional Judgement Guides
▪ Developed to reflect the “state of the
discipline”
▪ Empirical knowledge
▪ Professional Practice
▪ Identify a core set of factors to consider in
assessment
▪ Improves consistency, utility, &
transparency of decision making

16. Examples of Structured Professional Judgement Guides
▪ Historical Clinical Risk Management (HCRV3)
▪ Stalking Risk Profile (SRP)
▪ Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA)
▪ Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP)
▪ Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol (TRAP-18)
▪ Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk (WAVR-21)

17. The WAVR-21 V3
A Structured Professional Judgement Guide for the
Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk, 3rd Edition, 2016
Including Campus and Student Contexts
Stephen G. White, Ph.D.
J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., ABPP

18. Targeted Violence
The major focus
A Gateway
Instrument
Can use other SPJs
Broader Net
Bullying
Stalking
Maliciousness
Subjects
Employees
Contractors
Outsiders
Intimate Partners
Customers
The WAVR-21

19. The WAVR-21 Violence Risk Factors
1. Motives for Violence
2. Homicidal Fantasies, Violent Preoccupations or
Identifications
3. Threatening Communications or Expressed Intent
4. Weapons Skill and/or Access
5. Pre-attack Planning and Preparation
6. Stalking or Menacing Behavior
7. Current Job or Academic Problems
8. Extreme Job or Academic Attachment
9. Loss, Personal Stressors and Negative Coping
10. Entitlement and Other Negative Traits
11. Lack of Conscience and Irresponsibility
12. Anger Problems
13. Suicidality and/or Depressive Mood
14. Irrationally Suspicious or Bizarre Beliefs
15. Substance Abuse and/or Dependence
16. Increasing Isolation
17. History of Violence, Criminality, and Conflict
18. Domestic/intimate Partner Violence
19. Situational and Organizational Contributors to
Violence
20. Stabilizers and Buffers Against Violence
21. Organizational Impact of Real or Perceived Threats

20. Scientific Basis for the WAVR-21
Empirical
research on
violence risk
and protective
factors
Reliability
Validity –
University of
Nebraska study
Accumulated
professional
practice
Caution: The WAVR is not a psychological test or quantitative measure of risk.

21. How the WAVR helps teams
1.
Focused on risk-relevant information and the direction of further
inquiries
2. Transparency of assessment criteria improves team communication
3. Demonstrates reasonableness of the organization’s actions

25. Jerry allegedly threatened Agnes if she broke off for their relationship.
Jerry
Michelle L. 09/20/2017
HR Intake

28. Jerry
09/20/2017
Stephen White

29. 09/20/2017
Jerry has threatened Agnes that if he can’t have her,
nobody will.
Agnes
Stephen White

30. Jerry has threatened Agnes that if he can’t have her,
nobody will.
Agnes
09/20/2017
Stephen White

31. Stephen White
Stephen White

32. The WAVR-21 Violence Risk Factors
1. Motives for Violence
2. Homicidal Fantasies, Violent Preoccupations or
Identifications
3. Threatening Communications or Expressed Intent
4. Weapons Skill and/or Access
5. Pre-attack Planning and Preparation
6. Stalking or Menacing Behavior
7. Current Job or Academic Problems
8. Extreme Job or Academic Attachment
9. Loss, Personal Stressors and Negative Coping
10. Entitlement and Other Negative Traits
11. Lack of Conscience and Irresponsibility
12. Anger Problems
13. Suicidality and/or Depressive Mood
14. Irrationally Suspicious or Bizarre Beliefs
15. Substance Abuse and/or Dependence
16. Increasing Isolation
17. History of Violence, Criminality, and Conflict
18. Domestic/intimate Partner Violence
19. Situational and Organizational Contributors to
Violence
20. Stabilizers and Buffers Against Violence
21. Organizational Impact of Real or Perceived
Threats

33. Identify the issues before
they become incidents.

34. Questions?