Managing Risk in Violent Men
We have watched or read about several murders as 2009 comes to a close.
Understanding the patterns that underlie these awful events and how to intervene with men who have these risk factors will help society prevent these events in the future.
Risk factors include: oPast violence, threats of violence, or justification of violence as acceptable behavior oPast conviction of a violent crime or work related incident that violates the rights of others o Difficulties with job performance or inability to hold down a steady job oConflicts with coworkers oOne or more major stressors oLack of an ongoing, positive, supportive relationship with a similar age partner The more of these factors that a person has, the more likely it is that they need a forensic assessment for risk for future violence.
From that assessment, professionals should determine what interventions are needed to manage or reduce that person's future risk to others.
Once the factors are identified, interventions can be put into place for at risk men.
In the work place, supervisors can address work related problems and intervene with men who have problem behaviors.
Severe and chronic poor job performance gives employers the opportunity to screen individuals and mandate interventions as a part of job improvement requirements.
So, just as one would mandate a sexual harassment class for an employee with that particular infraction, a supervisor could mandate counseling for someone that had poor job performance and appeared to be emotionally fragile or unstable.
This is especially true if the person is at risk for losing his or her job, since it is extreme stressors, such as this, that often pushes those who are at risk for violence "over the edge.
" Someone who makes threats of or justifies aggression, chronically argues with coworkers, and has a poor work performance should be assessed for risk for violence toward others.
It is important to note that assessing risk of violence is a specialty and should be done by someone trained in this area, such as a forensic psychologist.
For the few employees who need this kind of service in the lifetime of a company is well worth the investment.
Knowing factors that violent men have in common can give supervisors, community members, probation and parole agents, and Courts red flags to look for in identifying men that pose the greatest risk to others in the community.
The greatest resources and strictest supervision can then be placed into services for those who are at the highest risk.
But, identifying these men who pose a risk to others is not enough.
The risk must be assessed and managed and interventions applied.
Suggestions for managing risk of violence in the community might include: Workplace Violence 1.
Screening of men who threaten or justify violence against others and have work problems that require counseling, sanctions, or interventions.
Determine who poses a threat to other workers.
Make interventions mandatory for those who make such threats or justification, are assessed as posing a risk to others, and are under probationary/disciplinary action status in the work place.
2.
Provide universally available counseling and mental health programs for those undergoing unusually high stress.
3.
Institute workplace wellness programs that include mental health.
Community Violence for Those Under Supervision 1.
Mandatory forensic interventions to include anger management, pro-social skill building, job skill building, vocational coaching, behavior and attitude monitoring and risk assessment for parolees with histories of crimes of violence or sexual offending.
2.
Mandatory monitoring of computer activity of probationers and parolees with past offenses of violence or sexual offending through computer programming.
3.
Highest level of services and strictest supervision for probationers and parolees with the highest risk to the community.
4.
Routine, frequent, and random monitoring and inspection by probation and parole agents of all work and living spaces If the systems that monitor men who are at risk for violence are improved, supervision is strictest for those at highest risk, and interventions are mandatory, some number of future tragic acts of violence can be prevented.
Understanding the patterns that underlie these awful events and how to intervene with men who have these risk factors will help society prevent these events in the future.
Risk factors include: oPast violence, threats of violence, or justification of violence as acceptable behavior oPast conviction of a violent crime or work related incident that violates the rights of others o Difficulties with job performance or inability to hold down a steady job oConflicts with coworkers oOne or more major stressors oLack of an ongoing, positive, supportive relationship with a similar age partner The more of these factors that a person has, the more likely it is that they need a forensic assessment for risk for future violence.
From that assessment, professionals should determine what interventions are needed to manage or reduce that person's future risk to others.
Once the factors are identified, interventions can be put into place for at risk men.
In the work place, supervisors can address work related problems and intervene with men who have problem behaviors.
Severe and chronic poor job performance gives employers the opportunity to screen individuals and mandate interventions as a part of job improvement requirements.
So, just as one would mandate a sexual harassment class for an employee with that particular infraction, a supervisor could mandate counseling for someone that had poor job performance and appeared to be emotionally fragile or unstable.
This is especially true if the person is at risk for losing his or her job, since it is extreme stressors, such as this, that often pushes those who are at risk for violence "over the edge.
" Someone who makes threats of or justifies aggression, chronically argues with coworkers, and has a poor work performance should be assessed for risk for violence toward others.
It is important to note that assessing risk of violence is a specialty and should be done by someone trained in this area, such as a forensic psychologist.
For the few employees who need this kind of service in the lifetime of a company is well worth the investment.
Knowing factors that violent men have in common can give supervisors, community members, probation and parole agents, and Courts red flags to look for in identifying men that pose the greatest risk to others in the community.
The greatest resources and strictest supervision can then be placed into services for those who are at the highest risk.
But, identifying these men who pose a risk to others is not enough.
The risk must be assessed and managed and interventions applied.
Suggestions for managing risk of violence in the community might include: Workplace Violence 1.
Screening of men who threaten or justify violence against others and have work problems that require counseling, sanctions, or interventions.
Determine who poses a threat to other workers.
Make interventions mandatory for those who make such threats or justification, are assessed as posing a risk to others, and are under probationary/disciplinary action status in the work place.
2.
Provide universally available counseling and mental health programs for those undergoing unusually high stress.
3.
Institute workplace wellness programs that include mental health.
Community Violence for Those Under Supervision 1.
Mandatory forensic interventions to include anger management, pro-social skill building, job skill building, vocational coaching, behavior and attitude monitoring and risk assessment for parolees with histories of crimes of violence or sexual offending.
2.
Mandatory monitoring of computer activity of probationers and parolees with past offenses of violence or sexual offending through computer programming.
3.
Highest level of services and strictest supervision for probationers and parolees with the highest risk to the community.
4.
Routine, frequent, and random monitoring and inspection by probation and parole agents of all work and living spaces If the systems that monitor men who are at risk for violence are improved, supervision is strictest for those at highest risk, and interventions are mandatory, some number of future tragic acts of violence can be prevented.
