Put a Halt to Workplace Violence

Stopping workplace violence is important, but preventing it in the first place is the goal to which everyone aspires.

A free seminar that will explore the possibilities of identifying and preventing violence at one's place of employment will be held today, from 8 am to 12 noon at the Hilton Woodbridge in the Iselin section of the township.

The discussion is being held by AlliedBarton Security Services, the industry's provider of security personnel, and HR Plus, a provider of solutions for employment and background screening, in partnership with Asvaco, iView Systems and Tyco Integrated Systems.

Steven M. Crimando, MA, BCETS, CHS-V, Principal, Behavioral Science Applications, is the keynote speaker. He will be joined by Bradford L. Cole, CFE, Private Investigator and Certified Fraud Examiner, and his therapy dog Spartacus. Crimando and Cole will discuss workplace violence prevention topics including:

• The Definition, Scope and Prevalence of the Problem: The Expanded Typology
• Evolving Standards and Practices in Violence Prevention
• The Mind of the Shooter: Precipitants of Extreme Violence
• Pre-incident Indicators and Warning Behaviors
• Developing Effective Policies, Plans, Procedures and Exercises

"The extreme violence we see in mass shootings and active shooter incidents is never a result of someone just snapping," says Crimando. "These are smoldering crises, not sudden crises. We have done a nice job of spreading the message of run, hide or fight to help people survive these brutal attacks, but information about pre-incident warning behaviors and post-incident victim support has not been as widely shared. That will be important and necessary to preventing, not simply responding to, the next active shooter situation."

"Post-event management preparation greatly impacts the success of grief and trauma counseling for the survivors, co-workers and families," said Cole.

"The use of qualified therapy dogs, such as Disaster Stress Relief Dogs or Crisis Intervention Canines, to facilitate the counseling and healing process is one part of a multi-disciplinary recovery plan. The common ground the dogs provide helps establish a bond between all parties and allows the victims to decompress while sharing the aid and comfort of the dog. Spartacus assisted counselors after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy."

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