The Worst Things About Getting Workplace Violence Defensive Tactics Training Into Your Company

Contrary to popular belief, the new terrorism facing workers

, and the businesses they work for in Today's world, is not coming from the Middle East, or any of the obvious sources you might think. In fact, according to the FBI, the escalating incidents of violence in the workplace, both in the US and abroad, makes the workplace the most dangerous place that you can find yourself!

But, even with statistics showing that 17 - 20 people are being killed on the job every week, and another 18,000 are being raped, robbed, assaulted, or otherwise attacked, there are other threats to employee safety which may be putting you at even greater risk. The focus of this article is on those elements that contribute to, and allow for incidents of violence to occur.

The following is a list of some of these contributing elements that put you at risk for becoming a victim of violence on the job. Which of these is preventing you from getting the training you need?

Manager's Definition of the term "self-defense." I have found through my contact with numerous clients that there is a misconception in the way that self defense and personal safety training is viewed by the decision-makers. Without exception, the concept of self-defense is being equated with that of "fighting." In fact, those responsible for approving the very training that will protect you during an actual act of violence in the workplace, are afraid that providing such training will actually cause a greater problem with violence than they currently have.

And, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, employees trained in self protection tactics, just like police officers, military personnel, and EMS workers, are actually more calm and focused when under pressure. They are also less likely to cause the collateral damage that is caused by the untrained defender who doesn't know what to do.

Too much "lawyer-ing." Many companies have abdicated their decision-making to their corporate lawyers. And, nothing could be more true than when it comes to the area of training employees in self defense where they would be able to protect themselves and survive an act of workplace violence.

Often, this comes across to employees as though the concern for the aggressor's life and well-being is more important than your own. In an attempt to be "liability-conscious," companies are putting themselves as risk for law suits from employees who become injured during an act of workplace violence and could not act effectively because of the lack of proper training.

The truth is that employee or patient contracts that create an agreement that physical violence will not be tolerated, are as useless as PFA's, or "protection from abuse" orders. Both are only effective so long as the individual agrees to abide by it and is concerned with the potential consequences for violating it. And, these passive "agreements" have, at their foundation, the belief that, in a violent situation, that you'll be able to reason with an irrational person, with no regard for their own well-being, intent on doing harm!

Apathy. Unfortunately, there are simply people, and organizations as a whole, who just don't care! Unless the decision-makers care about the well-being of their employees and are not under the misguided assumption that their lawyers and insurance will just clean up whatever mess occurs, there is little chance that employees who work for them will get the training they need!

Denial. This is the belief that, "this kind of thing won't happen here." It follows the erroneous logic that there is only one type of attack-situation (employee-on-employee violence), and, since everyone in our organization gets along, you don't have anything to worry about.

It's not until one of two things happen that these decision-makers wake up to the all-too-real truth that violence can happen not only anywhere, but can happen to them. They are:

1) Management realizes that there are really 5 attacker types and attack situations, and/or... 2) A violent attack occurs in their company!

The corporate decision-making process. We all know too well how slowly the wheels can turn in large organizations. Unfortunately, every day that employees go without the proper training, may be one day closer to experiencing an attack of workplace violence in their company.

It is true that violence is random. And, while management tends to fix that which is broken and creates a problem and potential loss on a day to day basis, you never know when violent aggression can show it's demonic face.

It's ironic how many companies have fire and evacuation plans when:

1) They have never had a fire, and... 2) They don't expect to have one any time in the future, but...

In the face of all the evidence, not to mention the almost daily reports of violence in the workplace, that they fail to take the same kind of precautions with regards to effectively protecting their employees and their company as a whole, against an attack!

Not every company is guilty of all of these elements. However, virtually every company has, at its root cause, at least one of them as the reason behind why it neglects including personal safety training in its overall workplace violence plan, procedures, and program.

by: Jeffrey Miller

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