Workplace violence is a problem, which has reached epidemic proportions in our society in recent years. Hardly a day goes by when we do not read or hear about a disgruntled co-worker, former employee, estranged spouse, extremist, or some other violent individual entering a work environment and killing or causing serious bodily harm to someone in the area. There are many theories as to why this phenomenon is occurring but the fact is, it is happening. It will not be our focus to discuss social theory as to the causes of interpersonal violence. We hope to address the problem from a practical standpoint which will give participants information that they can take back to work and make their work environment a safer place for them and their fellow workers. Violence in the workplace can take many forms ranging from sabotage of equipment to sexual harassment to murder. Many times individuals who commit these acts are guilty of less serious offenses and grow to be more dangerous. Part of our study will deal with the characteristics of people who may be prone to violence so that we may recognize them prior to actual violence and possibly influence their behavior or protect the workplace from their acts. We must realize we live in a violent society and no matter how many precautions we take there will always be a possibility we may be involved in a violent situation. Therefore, we will also discuss how to react should we be confronted with a potentially dangerous person and what must be done in the aftermath of a violent encounter.
