Sunday, October 24, 2004
Shooting at manufacturing plant
A man returned to the place of his former employment with a shotgun looking for the supervisor who had fired him a year ago. But on October 21st at the Beltservice Corp. in Earth City, MO, it was another worker who was wounded. Pelayo Errasti entered the conveyor belt manufacturing plant around 3:00 pm and shot numerous rounds, destroying computers and going back out to the parking lot to reload. At one point, he spotted his former boss from far off but missed when firing at him. A 61 year old man was running out of an office when he was superficially hit in the hip. According to court records, Errasti apologised for wounding the man, stating that he intended to shoot someone else. About 110 employees were evacuated from the building while emergency law enforcement squads cornered him in a storage area. After a seven hour stand-off and negotiations made through the phone, the gun man surrendered himself to authorities. He was charged with armed criminal action and assault and is being held without bail.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
NIJ Report on the role of economics in DV incidents
A new NIJ report-
This, to me, speaks of the vital role of employment in preventing DV. It does indicate that DV occures more in impoverished families but this may reflect the issue that victims in higher income homes do not seek out services or make reports.
When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role
Does intimate partner violence occur more in disadvantaged neighborhoods? For women, having financial problems in their intimate relationships and living in an economically distressed neighborhood combine to create greater risk of injury and violence. This NIJ Research in Brief (NCJ 205004) discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
Full report at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/205004.htm
This, to me, speaks of the vital role of employment in preventing DV. It does indicate that DV occures more in impoverished families but this may reflect the issue that victims in higher income homes do not seek out services or make reports.
When Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood Play a Role
Does intimate partner violence occur more in disadvantaged neighborhoods? For women, having financial problems in their intimate relationships and living in an economically distressed neighborhood combine to create greater risk of injury and violence. This NIJ Research in Brief (NCJ 205004) discusses who is most at risk and details the role that economic policies and employment practices might play in reducing the risk of intimate violence.
Full report at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/205004.htm
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Violent employee had killed other co-worker before
Christopher Yong, 39, was charged with aggravated assault, dangerous driving, failing to remain at the scene of an accident and breach of probation after he hit his supervisor with a work van and then sped away. The September 17th assault occurred at a document shredding company in Mississauga, Canada after the victim/supervisor told Yong to retrieve some paper work and the employee became enraged.
The violation of probation was for a 2002 workplace violence incident in which Yong fatally stabbed an employee that he was supervising at another business. He was charged with second degree murder but only served 18 months after receiving a manslaughter conviction. As this occurred in the same town as the last incident, it is likely that his current employers knew of the previous homicide.
Perhaps the question is not whether background checks should be done but what do you do when you are aware of previous, criminally violent behavior. Comments?
The violation of probation was for a 2002 workplace violence incident in which Yong fatally stabbed an employee that he was supervising at another business. He was charged with second degree murder but only served 18 months after receiving a manslaughter conviction. As this occurred in the same town as the last incident, it is likely that his current employers knew of the previous homicide.
Perhaps the question is not whether background checks should be done but what do you do when you are aware of previous, criminally violent behavior. Comments?
Friday, October 15, 2004
Free Conference on Workplace Violence
On November 15 - 17, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Liz Claiborne, State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon Wireless, ASIS, AAOHN, IPRC, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence will be hosting a landmark conference on Workplace Violence.
It will be a truly comprehensive program with a focus on the four types of workplace violence: stranger violence (robbery, stranger assualt); intimate partner violence in the workplace; co-worker and employee issues and finally, hostile customer and clients.
Registration is free!
Registration, accomodations, an agenda and more information can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/conferences/work-violence/.
Register now as applications will taken only till the end of October.
See you all there!!!
It will be a truly comprehensive program with a focus on the four types of workplace violence: stranger violence (robbery, stranger assualt); intimate partner violence in the workplace; co-worker and employee issues and finally, hostile customer and clients.
Registration is free!
Registration, accomodations, an agenda and more information can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/conferences/work-violence/.
Register now as applications will taken only till the end of October.
See you all there!!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
A Primary Prevention study opportunity
A wonderful opportunity has is available for employers to look at how men's health programs and IPV prevention. Special thanks to Kim Wells of Corperate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org) for the information.
Please see below!
FREE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS
From Dr. Emily Rothman:
I am an assistant professor at Boston University currently funded by the CDC to study domestic violence prevention in the workplace. I am currently seeking an employer with an interest in being on the forefront of developing a strategy for preventing the perpetration of domestic violence by addressing the wellbeing and health needs of men in the workplace. Involvement would not require funding from the employer. No invasive survey procedures will be used. Employer will benefit by receiving 'free' analysis of how to encourage men to participate in workplace wellness programming at your specific company, and if desired, positive publicity for participating in a cutting edge violence prevention effort. Please contact me to discuss this further if you are interested.
I can be reached at: EmFaith@aol.com or (617) 414-1385. Thank you.
Please see below!
FREE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS
From Dr. Emily Rothman:
I am an assistant professor at Boston University currently funded by the CDC to study domestic violence prevention in the workplace. I am currently seeking an employer with an interest in being on the forefront of developing a strategy for preventing the perpetration of domestic violence by addressing the wellbeing and health needs of men in the workplace. Involvement would not require funding from the employer. No invasive survey procedures will be used. Employer will benefit by receiving 'free' analysis of how to encourage men to participate in workplace wellness programming at your specific company, and if desired, positive publicity for participating in a cutting edge violence prevention effort. Please contact me to discuss this further if you are interested.
I can be reached at: EmFaith@aol.com or (617) 414-1385. Thank you.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Primary Prevention of IPV in the Workplace thoughts
It is difficult to re-cap all the great conversations that I have had with so many people but I will try to be succinct.
My basic question is what would primary prevention of IPV in the workplace look like? If I was to approach an HR manager or business owner, what would I be asking for them to allow me to do and/or what would I be asking them to do?
Some initial thoughts. Are deterrents prevention? Meaning, if you have policies that state abusers will be held accountable for their actions, on-site or at home, is this primary prevention? Some may argue that it may stop the behavior from occurring (or at least the physical abuse) but it does not provide a positive model or alternative to the abuse. It simply states, “don’t do this or else”. I would like to make the argument that the issue of sexual harassment policies has made tremendous strides in changing the behavior of people at work. It is deterrent based (disciplinary action/civil suits) but it has laid the foundation for how people treat each other, even outside of the workplace. Any thoughts?
Certainly, a better model would provide an example of how to behave and inter-act with others. Some workplace violence prevention initiatives focus on conflict resolution and mediation. I feel that this does not apply to IPV as the issues of Power and Control are not addressed. A victim cannot mediate with a batterer when they start to become abusive. And we have to focus on stopping the behavior in the first place.
I am excited about the idea of looking at Bullying and its recent attention as a workplace issue. The same dynamics of power and control exist and the emphasis of respect and equality are emphasized as an alternative to the behavior. Training and awareness programs can focus on recognizing the controlling behavior (from others and within ourselves) and establishing an appropriate response/alternative. This may get the attention of managers and business owners as it is an emerging issue in the workplace. The lessons of dealing with bullying can be transferred to Intimate-Partner relationships. Providing a workshop or program on this topic may provide the avenue or entrance to go into the business.
This raises the subject of actually how to enter the business. I mean, whom do you call/get transferred to at the initial contact? Often, in mid-sized to large companies, the CEO is not accessible. When we are not talking about an existing violence issue, which often falls into the security realm, it is the Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are often ‘handle’ these concerns. However, as they are mental health providers, it again is a function of response, of dealing with an issue once it is discovered. My question would be what sort of prevention programming do they offer? Any which way, when approaching a business or company that has an in-house EAP, they would be a good initial contact. For EAP providers that serve a host of client companies, maybe contacting them first would be a prudent step.
However, in a few workplace settings, prevention is the focus of the Wellness program, if they have one. These programs often focus on physical health issues such as heart condition and obesity but there may be alliances made to introduce the idea of having safe and respectful relationships as a primary factor in a worker’s health and well-being. Again, this may be the department or person to initially start having conversations with in order access the workplace.
Alright, enough for now. Please let me know your ideas by posting comments. Any knowledge of programs that currently exist would be gladly welcomed.
Peace to you and yours.
My basic question is what would primary prevention of IPV in the workplace look like? If I was to approach an HR manager or business owner, what would I be asking for them to allow me to do and/or what would I be asking them to do?
Some initial thoughts. Are deterrents prevention? Meaning, if you have policies that state abusers will be held accountable for their actions, on-site or at home, is this primary prevention? Some may argue that it may stop the behavior from occurring (or at least the physical abuse) but it does not provide a positive model or alternative to the abuse. It simply states, “don’t do this or else”. I would like to make the argument that the issue of sexual harassment policies has made tremendous strides in changing the behavior of people at work. It is deterrent based (disciplinary action/civil suits) but it has laid the foundation for how people treat each other, even outside of the workplace. Any thoughts?
Certainly, a better model would provide an example of how to behave and inter-act with others. Some workplace violence prevention initiatives focus on conflict resolution and mediation. I feel that this does not apply to IPV as the issues of Power and Control are not addressed. A victim cannot mediate with a batterer when they start to become abusive. And we have to focus on stopping the behavior in the first place.
I am excited about the idea of looking at Bullying and its recent attention as a workplace issue. The same dynamics of power and control exist and the emphasis of respect and equality are emphasized as an alternative to the behavior. Training and awareness programs can focus on recognizing the controlling behavior (from others and within ourselves) and establishing an appropriate response/alternative. This may get the attention of managers and business owners as it is an emerging issue in the workplace. The lessons of dealing with bullying can be transferred to Intimate-Partner relationships. Providing a workshop or program on this topic may provide the avenue or entrance to go into the business.
This raises the subject of actually how to enter the business. I mean, whom do you call/get transferred to at the initial contact? Often, in mid-sized to large companies, the CEO is not accessible. When we are not talking about an existing violence issue, which often falls into the security realm, it is the Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are often ‘handle’ these concerns. However, as they are mental health providers, it again is a function of response, of dealing with an issue once it is discovered. My question would be what sort of prevention programming do they offer? Any which way, when approaching a business or company that has an in-house EAP, they would be a good initial contact. For EAP providers that serve a host of client companies, maybe contacting them first would be a prudent step.
However, in a few workplace settings, prevention is the focus of the Wellness program, if they have one. These programs often focus on physical health issues such as heart condition and obesity but there may be alliances made to introduce the idea of having safe and respectful relationships as a primary factor in a worker’s health and well-being. Again, this may be the department or person to initially start having conversations with in order access the workplace.
Alright, enough for now. Please let me know your ideas by posting comments. Any knowledge of programs that currently exist would be gladly welcomed.
Peace to you and yours.
Primary Prevention of Intimate-Partner Violence (IPV) in the Workplace Overview
The focus of this initial post is to lay the foundation for a discussion on the development and implementation of IPV primary prevention programs in the workplace.
Stemming from my conversations with various people involved in the Center of Disease Control’s DELTA project and their efforts to develop primary prevention programs in the workplace, I hope that this blog serves as a public forum to share ideas and resources. Though we have listservs and conference calls, this blog has the advantage of offering an easily accessible record of the information shared.
First, let us establish some language. For those that are not in the DELTA program and may not be familiar with the public health model of primary prevention, I wish to reference a colleague in an article that he wrote.
Donald L. Gault, the Healthy Communities Section Manager of the Saint Paul –Ramsey County Department of Public Health in Minnesota, heads off the pioneering initiative called the Workplace Action Team (WAT), one of the eight original Initiative Action Teams formed in 1990.
http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/PH/hi/viol_free_initiative.asp#Workplace
In the article titled, “Creating Respectful, Violence-Free, Productive Workplaces: A Comprehensive Approach”, he provides a short but clear description of the 3 levels of prevention and how primary prevention differs from many of the efforts currently being made.
“In Public Health there is a differentiation between Three Levels of Prevention: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. In Primary Prevention, no group nor individual is designated “high risk”; instead, approaches are designed to bring a message or skill set to an entire population in order to prevent those individuals from ever beginning a risky behavior or practice. In Secondary Prevention, prevention messages and tools are targeted to individuals and groups who are already engaged in potentially damaging behaviors, but are not yet showing any ill effects as a result. In Tertiary Prevention, or Intervention, strategies are geared toward people who are both engaged in risky behaviors and who are in need of treatment to address ill effects caused by these behaviors.”
So in short, many of the initiatives that Peace at Work and other programs offer focus more on secondary or tertiary prevention. Things such as developing domestic violence policies, implementing support and security measures and even promoting awareness by placing posters and brochures are not primary prevention. The violence is already there and these efforts are a response. This, however, is not say that the secondary or tertiary prevention efforts are not needed or have value. The question is how to stop IPV in the first place, using the workplace as a site or arena to access the community at large.
So what would primary prevention of IPV in the workplace look like?
If you have comments on my description of primary prevention, please post your comments here. My next post will focus more on what those programs may look like (and what they don’t).
Stemming from my conversations with various people involved in the Center of Disease Control’s DELTA project and their efforts to develop primary prevention programs in the workplace, I hope that this blog serves as a public forum to share ideas and resources. Though we have listservs and conference calls, this blog has the advantage of offering an easily accessible record of the information shared.
First, let us establish some language. For those that are not in the DELTA program and may not be familiar with the public health model of primary prevention, I wish to reference a colleague in an article that he wrote.
Donald L. Gault, the Healthy Communities Section Manager of the Saint Paul –Ramsey County Department of Public Health in Minnesota, heads off the pioneering initiative called the Workplace Action Team (WAT), one of the eight original Initiative Action Teams formed in 1990.
http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/PH/hi/viol_free_initiative.asp#Workplace
In the article titled, “Creating Respectful, Violence-Free, Productive Workplaces: A Comprehensive Approach”, he provides a short but clear description of the 3 levels of prevention and how primary prevention differs from many of the efforts currently being made.
“In Public Health there is a differentiation between Three Levels of Prevention: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. In Primary Prevention, no group nor individual is designated “high risk”; instead, approaches are designed to bring a message or skill set to an entire population in order to prevent those individuals from ever beginning a risky behavior or practice. In Secondary Prevention, prevention messages and tools are targeted to individuals and groups who are already engaged in potentially damaging behaviors, but are not yet showing any ill effects as a result. In Tertiary Prevention, or Intervention, strategies are geared toward people who are both engaged in risky behaviors and who are in need of treatment to address ill effects caused by these behaviors.”
So in short, many of the initiatives that Peace at Work and other programs offer focus more on secondary or tertiary prevention. Things such as developing domestic violence policies, implementing support and security measures and even promoting awareness by placing posters and brochures are not primary prevention. The violence is already there and these efforts are a response. This, however, is not say that the secondary or tertiary prevention efforts are not needed or have value. The question is how to stop IPV in the first place, using the workplace as a site or arena to access the community at large.
So what would primary prevention of IPV in the workplace look like?
If you have comments on my description of primary prevention, please post your comments here. My next post will focus more on what those programs may look like (and what they don’t).
Welcome
Greetings,
I have created this Blog to provide a vehicle for business professionals, security consultants, academic researchers and victims advocates who desire to enhance the understanding of workplace violence and how it impacts our community.
Please help me maintain a professional dialogue by sharing thoughts, engage in thoughtful discussion and provide resources and links to programs and reports that will develop our ability, knowledge and skills to maintain safe and healthy workplaces.
The posts will be starting points for discussion so feel free to comment. I only ask that we respect each other and provide reference to any studies or reports to the orginal author(s).
Thank you very much.
I have created this Blog to provide a vehicle for business professionals, security consultants, academic researchers and victims advocates who desire to enhance the understanding of workplace violence and how it impacts our community.
Please help me maintain a professional dialogue by sharing thoughts, engage in thoughtful discussion and provide resources and links to programs and reports that will develop our ability, knowledge and skills to maintain safe and healthy workplaces.
The posts will be starting points for discussion so feel free to comment. I only ask that we respect each other and provide reference to any studies or reports to the orginal author(s).
Thank you very much.
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