Warning Signs of Violence: Threats both open and veiled, Unshakable Depression, and Violent Music, Movies, and Video games,
Written by Robert D. Sollars
- Threats both open and veiled
Veiled, public, private, verbal, written, or whatever. These are one of the first items you’ll notice about a potential incident of violence. But what’s considered a veiled threat?
An individual walks up to you throws their arm around you and pulls you close and with a smile says ‘You son-of-a-Bitch, I’m going to kick your ass!’. Is that a threat? Could be. It depends on how it’s said and who’s saying it.
There is a huge difference between a veiled threat if you know the person or if they’re mad at you. I’ve had friends come up to me after the WPV threats exploded in the 80s – and did that to me. Was I scared or intimidated? No, because I knew the person and knew he was being friendly.
Do I know of incidents where someone has said breathy statements and veiled threats and no one took it seriously. Later, after most people forgot about it, hours, days, weeks, months, or even a few years, a firearm was brought into the facility or adjoining one, and trauma, injury, or death struck.
As for verbal and written threats, look at the context of them. If only a few people hear or read the threats, the better the chance of something happening. If someone writes graffiti on a wall warning of something, it’s not likely to occur. Is this always the most accurate measuring stick? No, of course not. However, all threats need to be taken seriously & investigated. As a co-worker, if you hear someone threatening another, then report it to someone. Even if that person is your best friend, which admittedly is hard to do.
High School students have made hay of this idea. They know for a fact, that the school will be put into lockdown and nothing will be accomplished. No reports are due, no quizzes or tests are to be taken, & no one-on-one counseling is to be done either.
- Unshakable Depression
Yet another sign that really should be diagnosed by a trained professional. But in this short post, it can be considered that they are depressed for no apparent reason other than they are depressed. No one on the outside may even know these individuals are depressed but they are.
The depression keeps coming back and never really goes away.
Have they recently broken up with someone, that they really attached to, have they lost a pet or family member, have they suffered reverses in their investments, is their var breaking down and they can’t fix it? All of these as well as all of life’s maladies can have an effect on someone being depressed.
In my book Murder at Work: A Practical Guide for Prevention, there are about 3 or 4 pages of these signs. Don’t think that this is the same as mental illness…they are separate but just as deadly to…everyone and these people can be very prone to violence if it gets out of hand.
- Violent Music, Movies, and Video games
This definitely doesn’t need any explanations. With the plethora of such items out there, people (not just kids and teenagers) can become addicted to the adrenaline high of killing things. And whether it is a game, movie, or rap song they get immune to what they are doing. And sometimes it becomes their reality and not fantasy.
There are innumerable reports out there that state the very same thing. As the old saying goes “Too much of a good thing isn’t good for you.” That’s exactly what these movies, videos, music, and other such things are…good things that are taken and used too liberally with no limits.
Contact your expert to get a professional opinion and assistance to prevent these incidents. I have more than 40 years in the security field & more than 30 working in workplace & school violence prevention. Contact me at; Sollars Violence Prevention Training & Consulting. You can also write me at robert@sollarsviolenceprevention.com for the fastest service call 480-2551-5197 24/7/365 because violence and crime don’t take holidays!
You can check out my books and discover a whole lot more: Murder in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Prevention or Murder at Work: A Practical Guide for Prevention
www.sollarsviolenceprevention.com Twitter: RobertSollars2 e-mail: robert@sollarsviolenceprevention.com
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
