Legal Law

Workplace Violence: Spot Warning Signs and Triggering Events

Our other articles on workplace violence describe its nature and scope, our POSTAL formula and behavior profile, and defusing techniques. Here we describe the warning signs and triggering events … and what to do when you detect them.

Tea POSTCARD Formula for the prevention of violence in the workplace:

Profile + ORBservable + warning signs Shotgun + TTampering event (s) = FORforever THEethal

The profile is most useful during the hiring process, to detect possible perpetrators. For your existing workforce, and when it comes to outsiders, we turn to …

Observable warning signs

These warning signs, which may be newly acquired negative traits, parallel and overlap the profile, but now we focus on current behavior. So instead of a previous history of violence, our first warning sign is observed …

  1. Violent and threatening behavior
  2. For Patrick Sherrill (the first postal worker to “go postal” in 1986), it was all about tying up neighborhood dogs with rescue wire and a great fascination with guns. In general, this also includes:

  • Destruction of property or threats of sabotage
  • Disregard for the safety of others or violation of safety procedures.
  • Threats, intimidation, harassment, for example, Seung-Hui Cho from Virginia Tech and Harris and Klebold from Columbine (as perpetrators and victims)
  • Violence against a family member, for example, Mark Barton murdered his wife and children just before his Atlanta massacre.
  • Stalking or harassing others. Cho was involved in at least three bullying incidents, the first one occurring 18 months before his rampage. In addition, he made harassing phone calls to his roommate and took pictures of the students’ legs with the cell phone under their desks.

  • Strange behavior
  • Patrick Sherrill’s neighbors noticed his strange behavior in the neighborhood – mowing the lawn at midnight and looking out of neighbors’ windows while wearing combat uniforms. His co-workers said he preferred his own company and described him as enigmatic. Cho was known as the boy with the question mark. He had an imaginary girlfriend who lived in outer space.

    In general, strange behavior can include:

    • Become lonely, p. Eg, a sudden withdrawal from friends or acquaintances
    • Poor personal hygiene or deteriorated and unkempt appearance.
    • Inappropriate dress, for example, Cho never took off her sunglasses, not even indoors.
    • Strange or paranoid behavior
    • Erratic behavior or an extreme change in behavior.

  • Emotional problems
  • For example, Patrick Sherrill was often angry and depressed frequently. A district court determined that Cho was: “an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness.” The teachers described him as insecure and depressed, as did the boys at Columbine. This can also include:

    • Drug or alcohol abuse
    • Appear under unusual stress; signs of depression or discouragement
    • Inappropriate emotional display, for example, yelling, explosive outbursts, anger, crying

  • Performance issues
  • Sherrill’s co-workers perceived him as a problematic employee and a constant noncompliance. Virginia Tech declined to reveal details about Cho’s academic record, but Cho’s mother was increasingly concerned about her inattention to class work and the time she spent outside of the classroom. Performance issues can also include:

    • Inability to concentrate … decreased energy or concentration
    • Impaired job performance
    • Attendance issues or tardies
    • Greater need for supervision … co-workers have to take over

  • Interpersonal problems
  • Cho was described as awkward and lonely … arrogant and obnoxious … shy, silly and aggressive. Sherrill was a regular complainer. This can also include:

    • Numerous conflicts with supervisors and other employees
    • Hypersensitivity or extreme distrust
    • Resentment and frustration
    • Exaggerated perceptions of injustice

  • At the end of your rope
  • The last warning sign on our list is also the last warning sign that a potential perpetrator is likely to show. For instance:

    • He has a plan to solve all the problems. What do you think that plan might entail?
    • Indicators of imminent suicide (for example, selling property, closing a Credit Union account).
    • Other signs of extreme despair, marital discord, financial distress, etc.

    Cho bought guns in the two months leading up to his rampage, spent time at a local shooting range, began working out at the gym, and had his head shaved military-style. Plus, there was the media package that Cho sent to NBC News. [It was not received until after the massacre, of course, but wouldn’t his roommates have had some awareness of its preparation?]

    Shotgun

    The ‘S’ in our POSTAL formula is simply access and familiarity with weapons, not just shotguns, but also pistols, rifles, explosives, and knives (or box cutters). Also martial arts training.

    Patrick Sherrill had been a Navy sniper and a member of the National Guard marksmanship team. Cho and the boys from Columbine acquired this ability.

    The shotgun is not a warning sign. Gun hunters and collectors are not more likely to commit violence in the workplace unless they are obsessed with their guns. It’s just that, without access to and familiarity with guns, the violence likely won’t be lethal.

    Triggering events)

    The triggering event is the last straw, which the perpetrator experiences as a dead end, with no other options. This could be:

    1. Job / career related
    2. Patrick Sherrill’s rampage appeared to be an act of revenge for a poor performance review. The morning before the murders, the senior supervisor threatened to fire Sherrill … and was scheduled to meet with his immediate supervisor the morning of the murders to discuss performance issues. Remember the meaning of work obsession in the Profile. But work / career related events like being disciplined or fired or even criticized are just one type. It can also be …

    3. Institutional
    4. – foreclosure, bankruptcy, restraining order, or custody hearing.

    5. Personal crisis
    6. For example, divorce, death of a family member, or a failed or rejected affair, such as may have been for Eric Harris, whose girlfriend had recently broken up with him. It can even be a …

    7. Reference date
    8. For example, turning 40 or a 10th anniversary of the company … and feeling like you are going nowhere in life. Or the anniversary of some other event that is meaningful to the individual. The Columbine massacre occurred on April 20. Do you know whose birthday it is? Adolf Hitler. It’s not a date that most of us celebrate or even know about, but it is significant to these two budding neo-Nazis.

    We have all experienced one or more of these unpleasant events in our lives, which likely triggered negative feelings. Such events can trigger violence in those who are already prepared for it, that is, they fit the profile and / or display the observable warning signs.

    These events would tend to shake anyone’s sense of balance, at least temporarily. A person prone to violence is already unbalanced. The triggering event pushes you to the limit.

    Application of observable warning signs and trigger events

    Look for observable warning signs and triggering events while:

    • Deal with your employees on a day-to-day basis
    • Interact with customers … and observe strangers

    How you handle people displaying the warning signs will vary considerably depending on the severity and the situation. At the very least, sit back and listen to the troubled employee or customer.

    The only absolute: Never ignore!

    In the words of the husband of one of the victims at Lockheed-Martin:

    Obviously, he was a sick guy. I wish someone had helped him … before he destroyed my life and that of my children.

    Our recipe for preventing employee-initiated violence is:

    • Voluntary motivational management practices [Some organizations are breeding grounds for violence.]
    • Appropriate use of counseling, EAP, disciplinary action, and / or law enforcement
    • Employee and Management Training – All employees should know the warning signs (and anger-defusing techniques covered in our other article).
    • Strong security measures that, if nothing else, take Shotgun out of the equation.
    • And a zero tolerance policy of violence, effectively communicated and enforced

    A note on zero tolerance: This term is often used to refer to applying the same severe punishment even for minor offenses. That is not what we mean. Minor offenses and potential red flags should never be tolerated or ignored, but your response should be proportionate and appropriate.

    The goal of this article has been to prevent violence from happening in your workplace, at least when it is initiated by employees. Our article “Defusing Hostility” will show you how to deal with outsiders and potentially violent incidents.

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