December 8, 2003—A recent study commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) found that nearly 20 percent of the entire workforce claimed they have experienced an episode of workplace violence firsthand, yet the majority still do not know what to look for when it comes to determining potential offender characteristics. The findings suggest a need for companies to commit to and implement workplace violence education and prevention programs.
To help ensure survey accuracy, experts from the FBI’s National Center for Analysis and Violent Crime, who are currently developing a workplace violence monograph available to companies in the near future, were consulted during the development of survey criteria.
Two key findings from the survey include:
- When given a list of “red flag” behaviors, less than 4 percent of respondents were able to identify some of the most common warning signs usually seen in potential offenders. These warning signs include changes in mood, personal hardships, mental health issues, negative behavior, verbal threats, and past history of violence.
- When survey respondents were given a list of actions and asked if they defined it as workplace violence, there was a difference in the responses between men and women. For instance, 73 percent of men felt stalking was a form of workplace violence compared to 94 percent of women. Also, 76 percent of men considered threats and intimidation to be workplace violence, as opposed to 90 percent of women. Finally, 83 percent of men classified sexual harassment as workplace violence, compared to 97 percent of women.
In response to these findings, AAOHN and the FBI offer guidelines companies can follow to develop workplace prevention and education programs:
- Management should conduct a thorough organizational risk assessment and develop workplace violence prevention policies and programs that address potential risks in environmental design (security cameras, key card access), administrative controls, and behavioral strategies.
- Programs should clearly define the spectrum of workplace violence (ranging from harassment to homicide), delineate employee responsibilities for recognizing and reporting signs, and be shared with every employee. All programs should promote zero tolerance.
- Ask for and integrate employee ideas when developing and implementing a violence prevention program.
- Create a confidential and seamless reporting system.
- When training employees, review common warning signs, behavioral traits and how to recognize potential problems. Employees should also understand that each case is different, and to not limit at risk behavior to a standard profile.
