Violence in the workplace or other settings, whether between individuals or involving enforcement officers and civilians, can escalate quickly if not managed effectively.
Understanding how to identify, avoid, prevent, and control potential violent situations through thorough risk assessments is crucial towards creating safer environments.
The prevalence of violence and aggression across various sectors remains high
- 90% of teachers reported witnessing or experiencing aggressive behaviour
- 25% increase in reported violence on public transport services
- Lone workers are reporting an increase in daily attacks
- Shop workers, delivery services and home care reporting figures are increasing
This blog post outlines essential steps to manage violent behaviour through risk assessment, structured into six key areas.
1. A successful risk assessment begins with recognising factors that contribute to potential violence
Every workplace or environment has unique risk factors that must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Recognising the potential for violence is essential for early intervention, as a person’s past behaviour often serves as a predictor of future actions.
Reviewing incident logs, records, or reports of previous violence in a particular setting can provide valuable insights into potential risks.
Certain environments, such as crowded spaces, emotionally charged discussions, or stressful situations, can increase pressure and trigger aggressive outbursts.
Individuals may also exhibit clear signs of frustration, anxiety, or distress, such as raised voices, clenched fists, pacing, or aggressive posturing.
These behaviours often serve as warning signs that a situation could escalate into violence.
Risk assessment involves identifying these key indicators and others that are specific to your environment.
Conducting regular and updated assessments helps create a foundation for avoiding or managing violent situations.
So How Do We Conduct a Risk Assessment?
Risk management is a step-by-step process for controlling health and safety risks caused by hazards in the workplace.
- Identify hazards
- Assess the risks
- Control the risks
- Record your findings
- Review the controls
You can do this yourself or appoint a competent person or we can offer advice to help you.
2. Strategies to Mitigate Potential Violent Outbursts
Avoiding violent behaviour requires recognising the circumstances under which an individual may become aggressive and taking proactive steps to reduce these triggers.
Violence is often preventable if the right de-escalation measures are applied early on.
To avoid triggering conflicts, clear and effective communication is crucial, as misunderstandings or lack of communication often escalate tensions.
When addressing individuals showing signs of distress, it is important to remain clear, concise, and calm.
Ensuring that spaces are well-lit, properly ventilated, and not overcrowded can also reduce stress and create a more calming environment.
High-stress areas, such as disorganised workspaces, can exacerbate tension and should be addressed to prevent escalation.
Additionally, respecting the personal space of agitated individuals is essential, as close proximity can heighten their aggression and increase the likelihood of conflict.
By recognising triggers and adjusting the environment or communication style accordingly, the likelihood of a situation escalating into violence can be minimised.
Engaging in active listening and empathetic communication helps establish rapport and defuse tense situations before they reach a critical point.
3. De-Escalation Techniques for Diffusing Potential Conflict
When early warning signs of aggression appear, the focus shifts to de-escalation.
De-escalation techniques are essential tools for preventing situations from spiralling into violence, and they must be practiced and understood by all staff involved in potentially high-risk environments.
Staying calm and composed with a measured tone is crucial in reducing aggression, as reacting confrontationally can escalate the situation.
Authority figures, in particular, should avoid displaying anger or hostility, as this can amplify the aggression in others.
Instead, it is important to allow the person to express their frustrations while listening attentively, as showing empathy demonstrates understanding and helps diffuse anger.
Maintaining an open posture and avoiding sudden movements, while prioritising your own safety, communicates a relaxed, non-aggressive stance, signalling a willingness to help rather than taking control.
Offering the individual choices can also restore a sense of control and reduce feelings of helplessness, which often fuel aggressive behaviour.
Furthermore, sometimes the best de-escalation option is to provide the person with physical space and time to calm down, avoiding crowding or immediate pressure, which could heighten tensions.
Incorporating these techniques into everyday interactions with potentially violent individuals will significantly reduce the likelihood of escalation.
4. Spotting the Signs of Escalating Behaviour and Taking Proactive Action
Preventing violence often relies on recognising early warning signs and intervening before things escalate.
Early intervention means acting swiftly but thoughtfully, ensuring the safety of everyone involved.
What at some of the Warning Signs of Escalation and Steps for Early Intervention?
Signs of escalating tension include raised voices or an increasingly aggressive tone, sudden physical movements like pacing or hitting objects, and visible frustration, such as changes in facial expression, heavy breathing, or clenched fists.
To intervene early, it is important to calmly acknowledge the situation by recognising the individual’s feelings in a non-confrontational manner, avoiding dismissive or belittling responses.
Introducing an authority figure, as long as they remain calm and non-aggressive, can also help diffuse the situation.
Additionally, shifting the focus, such as suggesting a break or a change in topic, can effectively redirect attention and de-escalate tensions.
Acting early is a proactive way to prevent a situation from escalating into violence.
5. Managing Violent Incidents Safely
When a situation does escalate, and violence occurs, managing it effectively to minimise harm becomes the primary concern.
Physical intervention should ideally always be a last resort, but it is sometimes necessary to ensure the safety of all parties involved.
Steps that can be taken to safely manage violent incidents.
In situations where violence is imminent, it is crucial to prioritise verbal de-escalation, speaking calmly and offering the individual a way to back down without losing face.
If the situation escalates, calling for assistance is essential, whether from colleagues, supervisors, or security personnel, as handling a violent individual alone can be dangerous.
Should physical intervention become necessary, only trained personnel should apply safe control techniques that minimise harm to all parties involved, ensuring that the person’s breathing is protected and bystanders remain unharmed.
Additionally, the duration of any physical restraint must be minimised, ending it as soon as the situation is under control to prevent further physical or emotional trauma.
Proper training and preparation for violent incidents are key towards ensuring a controlled and safe outcome.
6. Post-Incident Learning from Violent Situations
Once an incident of violence has occurred, it is essential (a must-do) to review and learn from it.
Post-incident analysis not only helps refine future risk assessments but also aids in improving response protocols, ensuring better outcomes in the future.
What are some of the steps that can as part of a post-incident analysis review?
After an incident, it’s important to gather everyone involved, including witnesses, for a thorough debriefing to understand each person’s perspective and gain valuable insights.
Reviewing the response is crucial—this involves evaluating how the situation was handled, from identifying early warning signs to the final resolution.
It’s essential to assess whether the appropriate de-escalation techniques were used, whether staff followed established protocols, and if anything could have been done differently.
Each incident also offers opportunities for improvement, whether by updating risk assessments, enhancing communication, or providing additional training.
To reduce the possibility of ongoing emotional or psychological harm, additionally support via counselling should be offered to all affected individuals, including staff and the person involved in the incident.
By continually assessing and improving responses to violent incidents, you can create safer environments and reduce the risk of future violence.
In summary
Risk assessments are essential tools for preventing, managing and resolving situations of potential violent behaviour.
By recognising the early signs of aggression and utilising de-escalation techniques, whilst intervening at the right time, and managing violent incidents safely, a safety environment can be created for everyone.
Therefore, post-incident analysis ensures continual improvement in response strategies.
With regular training and awareness, staff can be empowered to manage potentially violent situations confidently and effectively – ultimately reducing the likelihood of harm and creating a more secure workplace or public environment.
Who am I?
Trevel Henry is an expert in conflict resolution, physical intervention, and behaviour management.
As the Director of NFPS Ltd I have years of experience as an expert witness and training consultant.
I specialise in setting standards and providing training towards preventing, managing, and resolving challenging and aggressive behaviours across all work sectors and social spaces.
My work focuses on creating safer environments by equipping individuals and organisations with the skills needed to handle potentially volatile situations with confidence and care.
Let us help you to improve your safety, whilst empowering you and others to enhance the services and support we provide to those around us.
Contact us to learn more – https://nfps.info/level-3-risk-assessment-course/
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