The ability to notice the warning signs of latent violent behavior — and having procedures to follow once the red flag goes up — may be the best ways to ensure that risk doesn’t become reality.

Helping members gain that level of understanding is the job of NYSUT labor relations specialists (LRS) assigned to UUP. This summer, LRSs Dawn Hopkins and Susan Bloom Jones traveled to the University at Albany to educate unionists on what constitutes workplace violence, how to assess the risk, and why management needs to develop a clear policy to address the issue. The workplace violence prevention workshop is one of several UUP training programs available to union members.

“Our focus is on awareness and prevention, not response,” said Hopkins, an LRS covering the UUP chapters at Farmingdale, Old Westbury and Stony Brook HSC. “We look at the impact of workplace violence on employees. This is a piece that’s often overlooked.”

Hopkins said not all incidents of workplace violence result in physical injury. Workplace violence is defined as any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting. It ranges from obscene phone calls, intimidation and verbal threats, to beatings, stabbings, rapes and suicides.

“Nobody knew what constituted workplace violence,” Albany Chapter President Candace Merbler said of the 30 UUP members in attendance. “This workshop gave us food for thought and was a valuable experience for all of us.”

How prevalent is it?

According to a 2001 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, homicide is the second leading cause of death

in the workplace, and robbery continues to be the primary motive in job-related homicides. The most common type of workplace violent crime is simple assault.

A separate study showed that the highest percentage of victims of workplace violence (33 percent) were state, city and local employees, as compared to victims working for private companies (9.9 percent).

“We’re seeing more and more incidents of rage, intimidation and harassment,” Hopkins said.

What are the signs?

A 1998 report by the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime notes that it is impossible to predict human behavior or to create a specific “profile” of a potentially dangerous person. Nonetheless, there are certain indicators that can signal dangers.

Among them:

• Direct or veiled threats of harm;
• Intimidating, bullying and other inappropriate aggressive behavior;
• Threats of suicide;
• Statements of fascination with workplace violence;
• Extreme changes in behavior; and,
• Drug and alcohol abuse.

What can be done?

Campuses should implement a Planning/Threat Assessment Committee designed to assess potential risks and develop plans for responding to acts of violence.

Components of a workplace violence program include a clear statement of campus policy; risk assessment; workplace hazard control and prevention; employee training; record keeping; and a response plan.

“Top administrators, campus police, human resources personnel, counselors and UUP members should be involved,” Hopkins said. “We need a solid commitment from everyone, especially top management, that this is an important program.”

— Karen L. Mattison