There are many ways that organisations can address the interpersonal risks posed by dangerous behaviour towards staff:
1. Create a safe organisational culture.
2. Develop safe policies and procedures for dealing with aggressive behaviour.
3. Create a safe, welcoming, and people-centred environment.
4. Employ staff with good “people” skills.
5. Train staff to deal with complaints in a respectful and solution-focussed manner.
6. Help staff identify, assess, and avoid situations that could pose a risk.
These are important, even critical issues but they are distal rather than proximal factors – they are about how to minimise risk posed by dangerous behaviour rather than identifying how to deal with it as it occurs. That is the focus of this bite-size blog.
Given that the best policies, procedures and assessments will never eradicate the risk of violence, many frontline staff remain ill-prepared for when it does happen. In all probability , the risk of physical violence is much less than people think – most situations end up as “near misses.” The fear of violence, however, can be debilitating.
Managing dangerous behaviour is overwhelming a psychological endeavour not a physical one but, as we will see, the “rules” are not simply extensions of those that apply to the rest of our professional practice. They constitute a whole new science.
Stay safe
Iain
Comments