Advisable to Read This
A Workplace Violence Scenario
Written by Robert D. Sollars
The previous post was violent, frightening to many, and upsetting to most. It had the desired effect I wanted. It told you how a domestic violence (DV) incident could potentially turn into a workplace violence (WPV) incident. Remember, that approximately 43% of all WPV incidents start because of DV. Not all of them end like this, but many do, if only for the significant other.
Those significant others can be common law, actual spouses, boy/girlfriends, gay/lesbian, and any other combination that you can conceive. It’s not a pretty scenario and I would venture to say that absolutely no one wants to witness one like this. I can also say with high confidence, that no one wants to hear of something like this at their organization or to a close co-worker/friend.
Nearly all of your people within, or associated, with the facility will witness a WPV/SV incident in one form or another. Again remember, this violence has many difficult aspects and angles to it. From bullying, verbal tirades against one of them, harassment, discrimination, and others. But for now, let’s take the scenario I laid out on Friday and see how many of the warning signs you spotted in it. Did you spot them all?
- A husband, Harold, orders his wife to not leave the house. He is controlling, manipulative, insulting, and obviously abusive, as seen in a later paragraph.
- The wife, Sheree, was scared of him, so she slept at the kitchen table and didn’t shower before going to work. Forgoing basic daily duties to go.
When she got to work, she constantly looked around to ensure that he wasn’t there and wasn’t following her. Her paranoia was high, while Harold was off the charts.
- She was threatened while at work by her husband. The threats were yelled at in and violent context and done as he was losing control of his emotions.
- The husbands’ perceptions of an innocent carried home, remembering her car broke down, are of the paranoid & suspicious type. Those perceptions are nearly impossible to change, once they get ingrained into someone’s mind & brain.
- The perceptions are leading him to enjoy the sadistic path he’s following as he smiles, laughs, and enjoys the humiliation and pain of another.
- He enjoys one more effort at spreading mayhem and chaos in the building by firing indiscriminately shots at the crowd. He then, realizing that he will die anyway, turns the firearm on himself and fires. Shooting yourself through the mouth for suicide will leave a very big hole at the base of the skull and no spine connecting to the brain, as well as severing an artery.
Did you catch all of those? There was sure to be many more of Harold. But unless I was to write a novella, it can’t be shown in such a short post. I have written about all 24 warning signs in the past. These two posts only showed 6 or 7 of them.
Do you want to know the other signs and how to spot them before they lead to this type of event in your organization? ANY organization is susceptible to such an event, don’t forget Lewiston Maine, and being totally honest & realistic, every single organization, 100%, in the United States, has suffered a violent incident in the facility, or away from it. It may surprise you to know that WPV/SV occurs away from the organization itself.
I’m more than happy to discuss the possibilities of a workshop, consulting, or any other service I can provide for you. All you have to do is take the second step with this, I made the first with these posts, and contact me via either e-mail or a phone call; Sollars Violence Prevention Training & Consulting, robert@sollarsviolenceprevention.com 480-251-5197
Like these blogs? Then please feel free to pass them along, with proper attribution, to friends, colleagues, or anyone who may benefit, from proper attribution. Have them subscribe at my website: Sollars Violence Prevention Training & Consulting
It happens to Anyone…Any Time…Anywhere… For any Reason
I May Be Blind, but My Vision Is Crystal Clear
Copyright 2023 Robert D. Sollars
