This information is from the work cover information in Australia from the booklet they gave me, about what happens in the work place. When I went to see the government department about domestic violence and getting changes made for the better of the community. It is also information from my own experience, research and downloads from source. It can not be copied, used or stolen from me as it is copyrighted.

This can happen as an internal violence from employees who are at risk of violence from co- workers, supervisors, mangers or even other staff. The common types of violence include harassment, bullying, peer pressure, verbal or physical abuse. Violence can also come from former employers who seek revenge on your business from managers and other staff.

Violence Acts Include

Verbal abuse in person and over the phone.

Written abuse

Harassment

Threats

Gang up on, bullying and intimidation

Physical or sexual assault

Armed robbery

Malicious damage to the property or staff, customers or business.

Workplace violence may not always be a critical or extreme situation from the outset. It sometimes follows a pattern of severe escalating behaviour from agitation, expressed anger or frustration and intimidation, body language, to verbal, written abuse, threats, physical threats or assault.

Violence and aggression include verbal and emotional abuse or threats and physical attacks to an individual or to property by another individual or group. The impact of violence on victims depends on the severity of the violence and his or her own experience, skills and personality.

From External Sources There Are Two Types Here.

Material gain, where offences are motivated to seek, money, drugs or valuable goods.

Non- material gain. This can include sexual assault, hostage taking and incidental violence to other people in the area immediately or near the workplace.

Client Initiated Violence

This is where clients or customers of a service, their relatives or friends take violent or aggressive actions against the workers who are trying to help them. Teachers, enforcement officers, health and welfare workers, are at risk of this source of violence. When violent acts are committed it is usually not the only source of violence. When these clients commit violence these acts, it is usually not a unique occurrence, as they often have a history of violent behaviour or related problems.

Discrimination And Harassment

Unwelcome behaviours can take the form of discrimination or verbal and sexual harassment by staff, clients, customers and the general public. All of this in appropriate and way stressful, not all of this is accompanied by aggression or violence.

Non- violent discrimination or harassment should be dealt with at the earliest opportunity, preventing it from becoming more serious and leading to violent behaviour. There are laws in place to protect workers from discrimination and harassment.

Bullying

Workplace bullying is an aggressive behaviour that intimidates, humiliates, undermines a person or group. Bullying can be defined as a repeated less favourable treatment of a person by another or others in the workplace which is considered unreasonable and inappropriate workplace practice. Types of bullying including yelling, screaming, abusive language, continually criticising someone, isolating or ignoring a worker, sabotaging someones work or their ability to do their job by not providing them the vital information, appropriate training and or resources. Bullying results from on person or a group needing to dominate or show superiority over another person.

Personal Gain Or Gratification

Offenders may try to steal money, drugs or valuable goods from the business or the employees. Attacks may be random but are often planned. The offenders know your business, what they want. They will strike where, security and violence control measures are not adequate, or offers may not be rational at the time of the offence or may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Some offenders are motivated by non-material gain. Sexual assault is an example. Sex offenders may stalk victims, playing out their attacks, or they may choose victims at random in opportune circumstances. Working alone, leaving work at night, and travelling home alone can be high risks. Extreme cases of workers being overloaded and driven by their supervisors can also result in workplace, violence. When people commit violent acts it is usually not a unique occurrence, they often have a history of violent behaviour.

Service Delivery Issues

Become unhappy about aspects of your business including cost, performance of the product or service, treatment by staff repeated delays and in competence. These things do not excuse violence, but they can help create situations that are contributing factors of a offenders actions, clients, customers of a service, their relatives or friends may take violent or aggressive action against the workers, who are really trying to help them. They can come from when a person is seriously injured, lots of the time violence comes about after a number of smaller conflicts over time.

Opportunism And Coincidence

Violent acts may be committed for their own sake , often with little or no planning. Random vandalism is one example of this. Smash and grab, shoplifting offences are random, happening at a spur of the moment thing, bought about by opportunity such as no staff in the shop or valuable being left in an accessible position. Other less common aggressive behaviours includes sieges and hostages, taking clients, often the person is affected by drugs, alcohol behaviour under the influence of a mind altering substances of the absence of a substance withdrawal syndrome may become violent. It is important to have strategies to help prevent these kinds of incidents as well as having procedures to handle such violent situations when they occur.

Incidental violence such as robbery or assault of other people in the areas immediately, near the work place, can have an impact on your staff. They may not be physical assaulted but they may suffer trauma, from seeing the event. You can not always prevent these situations from occurring but you need to have procedures in place, to help minimise the impact they do have.