Workplace violence and aggression
Using de-escalation techniques when confronted with violent or aggressive behavior
Why de-escalation is vital
Workplace violence can take many forms, including any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation and other threatening disruptive behavior. Each year, thousands of employees are the victims of workplace violence. That’s why de-escalation in the workplace is vital when confronted with violent or aggressive behavior. De-escalation is the process of managing someone else’s behavior with your own.
Industries more likely to see workplace violence
Workplace violence is most common in educational services and health care/social assistance. In the health care field specifically, employees are five times as likely to experience workplace violence.
Our De-escalation Team Training kits help supervisors train employees on de-escalation topics.
De-escalation tactics
While specific threats vary among industries, many tactics apply universally:
- Respecting personal space
- Maintaining safe body positioning
- Giving clear, concise direction
- Setting obvious boundaries
- Conveying empathy
- Establishing positive tone of voice
Educate your employees
We offer safety training talks and sample emails specific to workplace violence.
Sample emails for schools
Recommended safety products and vendors
Sometimes preventing injuries can be as simple as using a safety product or enlisting the help of a reliable vendor to teach you best practices.
