Dealing with Violence in the Work Place
Information and Advice - UAB Police Department

Information
Mr. James Fox of North Eastern University has indicated that deaths occurring in the work place from disgruntled or upset employees is one of the fastest growing forms of homicide in the United States. He further states that one of the leading causes of deaths of women in the work place is due to this form of homicide.

Throughout its history, UAB has been fortunate not to have experienced this tragic form of violence; however, the potential for its happening should not be precluded. Like bombs or bomb threats, and criminally intended explosive devices of any nature, co-worker violence in the work place is becoming more common that ever before. It is the goal of the University Police to ensure this form of violence remains negligible on the campus and that it be prevented whenever it is suspected or threatened.

Though extensive research and personality profiles are incomplete and still very much in the evaluation stages, according to Bruce Blythe, Crisis Management International, profiles of past violent suspects have a tendency to indicate that the suspects have been white males between the ages of 35-45 years of age, who are, in general, loners, not people or group oriented, have had trouble with authority, maintain superficial relationships with coworkers, are generally disgruntled most of the time, and have made threats or threatening overt or covert threats of violence, toward associates and supervisors. Prior disciplinary problems, inclusive of a previous criminal history, drug and alcohol abuse, low self esteem, and other aberrant psychological behavior, have also been recorded.

The most significant indicators for propensity toward violence have been the actual verbalization of threats, histories of prior violence, and being manipulative. The fact that other employees had a "gut feeling" about the suspect, or would have suspected him/her for committing a violent act are also possible indicators. Most interviewed witnesses actually told authorities after the act of violence that they had a "hunch" or "strong feeling" the person was going to do something like that (commit an act of violence inclusive of multiple murders in the work place).

Advice
1. Advise all faculty and staff members of the possible indicators as described above.

2. Require that any employee who feels that another associate, subordinate, or supervisor has physically threatened others in the work place, or has heard of such threats, or who for some of the reasons described above feels the person may be a potential threat of violence, advise his/her immediate supervisor and call the University Police for a full investigation into the matter.
Emphasize that each staff member has a "duty to warn" his or her supervisor of a potentially dangerous situation.
Guarantee the informing employee strict confidentiality, but still advise the University Police in order to initiate and carry out the investigation.

3. Do not permit guns in the workplace, and report weapons discovered or suspected to an immediate supervisor and the police. Weapons are not permitted on UAB property and their presence only lends to the potential for violence.

4. If a member is terminated for cause, advise the person not to return to the work place, especially under the report of a threat, and immediately call the University Police if the person returns without permission. If hard feelings are apparent, and the person to be advised of dismissal indicates signs of instability, call the University Police to be present at the time of the dismissal.

5. Where possible, in a normal supervisor-employee relationship, orchestrate intervention through the use of a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist as available through the Office of Human Resource Management and the UAB Faculty and Staff Assistance Program.

In Summary
A lack of a large, definitive body of scientific data researching the physiological and psychological reasons and effects of extreme employee violence limits a discussion on the advisement of definite recognition factors which would permit detailed preparation to prevent a worse case scenario.

It is important to recognize that some characteristics have been identified that indicate most violent employees do not instantaneously commit acts of violence in the work place, but rather manifest early warning among fellow employees, some of which have been discussed above.

This Department strongly recommends the policy of being "safe", rather than "sorry", or when in "doubt" about a potentially violent employee, student, patient, visitor or guest, call the University Police for a full investigation in order to preclude what may develop into a tragedy.