Workplace violence can take many forms and have serious negative consequences. Employers should implement comprehensive violence prevention programs that include policies, training, physical security measures, and protocols for responding to threats and dangerous situations. Early intervention is key to defusing potentially violent situations before they escalate.

1. WORKPLACE
VIOLENCE

2. Presented by
Johnnie B Woods; Director of Training
Woods Security and Training Inc.
44901 Golf Center Pkwy, Suite 6
Indio, Ca, Ca. 92201
(760) 342-5127
www.woodssecuritytraining.com
ds3@live.com
Johnnie B Woods Security Training., licensed by the State of California to perform security training.
(TFF1334, TIF1790, TIB1632).
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor,
NRA Certified Instructor “Refuse To Be A Victim”
American Red Cross Authorized Provider

3. ■ “Assaults, other violent acts or threats
which are related to the workplace
and has a substantial risk of physical
or emotional harm to individuals, or
damage to business and/or
government resources or capabilities.”
Workplace Violence Defined

4. ■ The expense associated with loss of business and
productivity.
■ The emotional injury to victims and co-workers.
■ The physical injury suffered by victims.
Potential Effects of
Workplace Violence…
■ Decreased work performance.
■ Staff turnovers.
■ Reduced employee morale.
■ Reduced public image of the company

5. ■ Victims suffer
– Insomnia
– Eating disorders
– Anxiety
– Fear
– Depression
– Possible nervous breakdown.
■ Violence against one employee may also have
similar negative effects upon other staff
members, customers, or clients.
Potential Effects of
Workplace Violence…

6. Unfortunately, in recent years there have been numerous violent
episodes which have resulted in serious physical injury and even
death to employees in the workplace.
Today’s workers and security officer must:
• understand his/her role in potentially violent situations.
• have the training to respond appropriately.
• recognize that their role should be preventative.
• develop skills in spotting potentially violent situations.
• use appropriate verbal skills to defuse the situation.

7. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Type 1: Violent acts by criminals who have no other
connection with the workplace, but enter to commit robbery
or another crime.
Type 2: Violence directed at employees by customers, clients,
patients, students, inmates, or any others for whom an
organization provides services.
Type 3: Violence against coworkers, supervisors, or
managers by a present or former employee.
Type 4: Violence committed in the workplace by someone
who doesn’t work there, but has a personal relationship with
an employee – an abusive spouse or domestic partner.

8. POTENTIAL VIOLENT SITUATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE
• Employees being severely disciplined
• Employees being discharged
• Disgruntled former employees returning to the property
• Employee suspected of drug abuse being sent for a drug test
• Employees under the influence of drugs or alcohol which
causes a reduced “threat threshold” (the point a person feels in
physical or emotional danger; the point where violence is most
likely to occur)

9. • Severe personality conflicts between
employees and other employees or their
supervisors
• Employees involved in relationships who are
now feuding
• Employees who are psychotic or who have
developed severe mental problems due to
personal problems or in some cases brought
about by the work environment
• Stress related incidents of “acting out”

10. OTHER PROBLEM BEHAVIOR
• Increasing belligerence
• Ominous, specific threats
• Hypersensitivity to criticism
• Recent acquisition/fascination with a weapon
• Apparent obsession with a supervisor or coworker or
employee grievance
• Preoccupation with violent themes

11. • Interest in recently publicized violent events
• Outbursts of anger
• Extreme disorganization
• Noticeable changes in behavior
• Homicidal/suicidal threats

12. FACTORS WHICH MAY PRECIPITATE PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR
 Frustrations arising from poorly defined job tasks and
responsibilities
 Downsizing or reorganization
 Labor disputes and poor labor management relations
 Poor management styles
 Inadequate security or a poorly trained, poorly motivated
security force
 A lack of employee counseling
 A high injury rate or frequent grievances

13. 1. Security personnel should be trained in
techniques for handling threats and/or
confrontations.
2. Security supervisors should have an up-to-
date contact list for all employees and
outside emergency contacts.
3. The security director should maintain
contact with local law enforcement
agencies, familiarizing them with the
company’s location and with evacuation and
emergency plans.

14. The primary goal in a potentially violent
situation is to defuse the situation – not
incite a physical confrontation.
To achieve this goal, the Worker / security officer
must:
1. Become proficient at recognizing or
assessing potentially violent behavior.
2. Learn to use verbal skills designed to
minimize the risk of agitating the potentially
violent individual.
3. Learn and use non-offensive physical
techniques when appropriate.
4. Be familiar with your evacuation plans and
routes.

15. The presence of a uniformed security officer is
usually a visual deterrent to violence,
especially when there is a show of force.
Security officers should be requested to stand
by in the immediate vicinity when
management thinks a problem might occur.
A ‘standby’ refers to a cautionary measure
taken by management to permit security to
intervene early with a potentially violent
person.
Before anyone in management gives a
potentially violent person an ultimatum
uniformed security officers should be present.

16. When management is aware of an individual’s potential for
violence and that individual is going to be disciplined or
discharged, etc., the security officers should be called early and
a “game plan” should be developed. The plan should include:
• Who is going to call the police?
• When should they be called?
• When should the security officer move to restrain
the individual?
• Where should the person be taken?
• Should handcuffs be used?
• Does anyone have handcuffs?
• Should the person be physically ejected rather than
restrained?

17. ASSESSING BEHAVIOR AND THE POTENTIAL FOR
VIOLENCE
All behavior is motivated.
Acting out (aggressive behavior demonstrated by verbal
abuse and possible physical confrontation) is intended to
achieve some goal. This goal may not be apparent to you or
the person who is upset. Ask yourself “What is the reason for
this person’s behavior?” You need to become aware of the
person’s vital interests, i.e., loss of job, loss of stature with co-
workers, or a feeling of helplessness as one places their well-
being in another’s hands.

18. The more basic the vital interest being threatened,
the higher the risk of violence.
All people have a threat threshold – a certain tolerance
for perceived threat. If the perceived threat is stronger than
the individual can handle, the risk of that person becoming
violent is high. This threat threshold is different for each
individual.

19. Violence-prone individuals have a condensed
threat threshold.
The individual with a condensed threat threshold is more like
to become involved in a physical confrontation than the
average person. Factors: personality, past experiences,
learning, present circumstances.
Possible condensed threat threshold;
Individuals who are: criminal or antisocial
intoxicated
psychotic
physically and/or
emotionally

20. The more intense a person’s emotional reaction,
the less likely they are to think rationally.
Acting out always involves some emotional
force. Fear is the most common emotion related
to aggression.
We need to understand that the emotionally
upset person is unable to think rationally, and
we need to de-escalate the emotions in the
situation so that the person can rationally co-
operate.

21. When upset, if given an option, an individual will
usually choose a nonviolent way over a violent way
of dealing with a stressful situation.
Common causes of acting out:
Frustration Tension (anxiety)
Being ignored/rejected Lack of positive attention
Confinement Loss of personal power
Boredom Overcrowding
Competition Staff behavior
Lack of impulse control
Psychological confusion/misperception
Need to establish/maintain self-esteem (Macho Man)

22. Cues to potential acting out:
• Mood swings
• Changes in body language/activity
• Physical tension
• Changes in verbal behavior
• Stimulus events – certain dates, such as anniversary of
termination date, etc.
• Depression, suicide attempt
• Past history data

23. WORKPLACE KILLERS
 Likely to be a 37 year old single man who has been with a
company for at least four years. (Only about 3% of attackers
are women.)
 His attack is often a final self-destructive act that follows
personal problems at home and at work.
 Often, he is the ONE whose temper has worried co-workers
and bosses.
 He does not kill at random.
 Most workplace killers hold grudges and know exactly who
they are looking to kill.
 More likely to be white, male and older than the typical
murderer.

24. MOTIVATORS
• Most common – firing
• Second most common – argument, fight or
disagreement on-the-job
• A disciplinary action such as being written up
for tardiness or poor performance
• To cover up the commission of a crime such as
robbery

25. WORKER TO WORKER VIOLENCE
Not all workplace violence results in the murder
of employees. Other, less serious, events can
occur. Any time people work together, conflict
will exist. When this conflict is not handled in
an organized, professional manner, tensions can
escalate and lead to violence between co-
workers.

26. SITUATIONS WHICH MAY LEAD TO VIOLENCE
1. A husband and wife or boyfriend/girlfriend work at
the same employer. Their domestic problems spill
over into the workplace in the form of a verbal
argument followed by possible physical
confrontation.
2. A person (male/female) becomes romantically
involved with a co-worker resulting in a “lover’s
triangle” of three people.
3. A long simmering feud or dislike between co-
workers develops into a physical confrontation.

27. 4. Employees engaged in a little “horseplay”
lose their tempers and a fight breaks out
between them.
5. An employee is confronted by another
employee over personal debts.
6. An employee comes to work under the
influence of alcohol/drugs and confronts
someone.
Often these disputes will not result in serious injury or
death, but security officers will be notified to report to the
location of the disturbance and will be expected to get the
situation under control immediately.

28. SECURITY SURVEY
 An important tool to get employee ideas on the occurrence
and potential for violent incidents
 Can identify or confirm the need for improved security
measures
 Can be repeated at regular intervals, when operations
change, or an incident has occurred.
Can help identify new or previously unnoticed risk factors.
 Can help identify jobs, locations, or work situations where
the risk of violence is greatest.

29. THE TEAM APPROACH
Management and security should work together as a
team. Security is an integral part of the team and are
usually relied upon to physically intervene when necessary.
Security officers must ALWAYS remember that initially any
management person who calls for their assistance is
ALWAYS the team leader. The leadership may be turned
over to security at some point during the crisis but
management is ultimately responsible for what happens.

30. 1. Only one person (designated team leader) should
verbally communicate with the potentially violent
person. (PVP)
2. Even if the PVP directs verbal abuse or questions
to another person on the scene, that person MUST
NOT RESPOND!
3. The team leader should respond by stating that
the person must speak with him and no one else.
4. The manager should inform security when
he/she feels they have exhausted all verbal
interventions and wants security to either
verbally intervene or to restrain and remove the
PVP from the area.

31. In the event the person attempts physical
violence toward any of the team members,
security should immediately move in and
physically restrain the person and prevent
anyone, including the violent individual,
from being injured.

32. PHYSICAL INTERVENTION
Once the decision is made to intervene physically, security
officers should:
• Respond without hesitation or guilt, and with the idea that
you are really helping the person.
• If possible, plan the manner in which they are going to
“secure” the disruptive person.
• If possible, have five officers present. One officer should be
assigned to each arm and each leg with the remaining officer
responsible for controlling the person’s head in the event
he/she attempts to bite.

33. When responding to a situation that requires physical
intervention the officers must:
 Maintain a caring and concerned attitude.
 Refrain from taking the disruptive person’s verbal and
physical abuse personally.
 Continue to work as a team throughout the crisis and until
the goal is reached of securing the environment.
 If time permits, remove personal items that may get
broken such as watches, glasses, jewelry, etc.
REMEMBER …

34. • How you stand and move can aid in a fast
response if struck by a disruptive person.
• Without special training, it is natural to respond
with techniques that may not be effective or non-
offensive.

35. Legally, you must demonstrate that every effort has
been made to control the situation using non-
offensive physical control techniques (actions which
attempt to restore accepted behavior without the
use of physical force, e.g., holding hands up, palms
open while talking to the person; gently placing a
hand on the person’s shoulder; motioning for a
person to sit while requesting the same), prior to
using any techniques which might be construed as
offensive such as punching, kicking, full nelson, etc.

36. • Non-offensive techniques are designed to
minimize risk of injury to both the disruptive person
and the staff.
• Any technique which by design causes pain or
discomfort such as a full nelson, pressure points,
etc. should be considered offensive.
• You do have the right to protect your life.
• Be aware of surroundings – anything the person
may try to use as a weapon.

37. • Always try and call for back-up before giving
ultimatums to the disruptive person.
• Use only that amount of force necessary to
effectively control the situation.
• By gaining control of the person’s wrist, you in
effect can manipulate the movement and balance
of the individual.
• Use the element of surprise whenever possible.
• Your first priority is to free and protect yourself so
you can intervene.

38. WHAT CAN AN EMPLOYER DO?
• Adopt a workplace violence policy and prevention
program and communicate both to the employees.
• Provide regular training in preventive measures for
all new/current employees, supervisors and
managers.
• Support victims of workplace or domestic violence.
• Adopt and practice fair and consistent disciplinary
procedures.

39. • Foster a climate of trust and respect among
workers and between employees and
management.
• When necessary, seek advice and assistance
from outside resources, including threat-
assessment psychologists, psychiatrists, and other
professionals, social service agencies and law
enforcement.

40. WHAT CAN EMPLOYEES DO?
 Follow an employer’s preventive polices and
practices.
 Become aware of and report violent or threatening
behavior by coworkers or other warning signs.
 Follow procedures established by workplace
violence prevention programs.

41. PLANNING
 Management must support the plan.
 A good plan must be tailored to the needs of each
individual site.
 A plan must be proactive.
 A plan should take into account the workplace
culture; workplace atmosphere, relationships,
traditional management styles, etc.
 A plan will be most effective if it is based on a
multi-disciplinary team approach incorporating
expertise from a number of perspectives.

42.  Managers should take an active role in
communicating the workplace violence policy to
employees.
 Practice your plan!
 Reevaluate, rethink and revise.

43. COMPONENTS OF A WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
PREVENTION PROGRAM
 A statement of the employer’s no threats and
violence policy and complementary policies such as
those regulating harassment and drug and alcohol use
 A physical security survey and assessment of
premises
 Procedures for addressing threats and threatening
behavior
 Designation and training of an incident response
team

44.  Access to outside resources, such as threat
assessment professionals
 Training of different management and employee
groups
 Crisis response measures
 Consistent enforcement of behavioral standards,
including effective disciplinary procedures

45. THREATS AND THREATENING BEHAVIOR
Dealing with threats and/or threatening
behavior – detecting them, evaluating them, and
finding a way to address them – may be the
single most important key in preventing
violence.
Any workplace violence strategy must include
measures to detect, assess and manage threats
and behavior.

46. Threat –
“An inappropriate behavior, verbal or nonverbal
communication, or expression that would lead to
the reasonable belief that an act has occurred or
may occur which may lead to physical and.or
psychological harm to the threatener, to others,
or to property.”
“Any verbal or physical conduct that threatens
property or personal safety or that reasonably
could be interpreted as an intent to cause harm.”

47. IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING THREATS AND
THREATENING BEHAVIOR
 Encourage reporting by creating a climate in which
safety is the common goal for all employees.
 Inform employees where and what to report.
Suggestions:
1. Designated office or person to whom complaints are
directed.
2. A hotline number or suggestion box for employees
who prefer to remain anonymous.
3. Publicize the reporting system on bulletin boards,
employee newsletters, and in notices distributed
with paychecks.
 Provide training to help employees detect warning
signs.

48. THREAT ASSESSMENT
A good threat assessment will thoroughly analyze:
 The exact nature and context of the threat and/or
threatening behavior.
 The identified target (general or specific)
 The threatener’s apparent motivation.
 The threatener’s ability to carry out the threat.
 The threatener’s background, including work
history, criminal record, mental health history,
military history, and past behavior on the job.

49. THREAT MANAGEMENT
The goal of threat assessment is
to determine how serious a threat
actually is and decide what is the
best action to take in each case.
Some cases will require
immediate action (i.e., call the
police) and others may only lead
to referrals for counseling.

50. Because many acts of workplace violence are actually
extensions of domestic violence, employers and employees
should be alert to the following behaviors which may suggest
victimization.
• Tardiness or unexplained absences
• Frequent and often unplanned use of leave time
• Anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Change in job performance
• A tendency to remain isolated from coworkers or
reluctance to participate in social events

51. • Discomfort when communicating with others
• Disruptive phone calls or e-mail
• Sudden or unexplained requests to be moved form public
locations in the workplace, such as sales or reception areas
• Frequent financial problems indicating lack of access to
money
• Unexplained bruises or injuries
• Noticeable change in makeup (to cover up injuries)
• Inappropriate clothes (e.g., sunglasses worn inside
building, turtleneck worn in summer)

52. • Disruptive visits from current or former intimate partner
• Sudden change of address or reluctance to divulge where
he/she is staying
• Acting uncharacteristically moody, depressed or distracted
• In the process of ending an intimate relationship; breakup
seems to cause the employee undue anxiety
• Court appearances
• Being the victim of vandalism or threats
American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence; A Guide for
Employees: Domestic Violence in the Workplace (Washington, D.C.:199)

53. Portions of this slide presentation were taken from:
Workplace Violence: Issues in Response
Critical Incident Response Group
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
FBI Academy, Quantico
Quantico, VA
U.S. Department of Justice June, 2002
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services