Taming the Dragon Managing Verbal and Physical Aggression

Taming the Dragon: Managing Verbal and Physical Aggression

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Taming the Dragon: Managing Verbal and Physical Aggression

Verbal Workplace Aggression Examples Direct • Active • Threats, yelling, insults & sarcasm • Sexual harassment • Passive • Failing to return calls, or giving the silent treatment • Refusing requests Indirect • Active • Spreading rumors, whistle blowing • Belittling, talking behind someone’s back. • Passive • Failing to: • Transmit information • Deny false rumors

Physical Workplace Aggression Examples Direct • Active • Homicide, Assault(Physical/Sexual) • Obscene Gestures, Interrupting others • Passive • Slowing down work intentionally • Leaving when target enters Indirect • Active • Theft, Sabotage, Defacing Property • Consuming, Hiding, Removing Needed Resources • Passive • Showing up late, or making someone look bad. • Failing to protect target’s welfare.

Taming the Dragon: Managing Verbal and Physical Aggression

Three Phases Trigger • People • Circumstances Escalation • Hostile Intent • Malicious Intent Crisis • Cognitive Aggression • Primal Aggression

Cognitive Aggression PHASE # STAGE Crisis 9 8 7 Escalation 6 5 4 Plunging into the abyss Win/lose attack Limited destructive blows – inanimate objects Threat strategies Forced loss of face Image destruction– triangulation Communication w/actions vs words Debate Hardening 3 2 1 As the aggressor escalates, he will have a sense of progressive loss of trust, suspicion of another’s trust, feeling the threat of another’s intent, or turning the victim’s community against him.

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Red Flags

Strategies for Safety BE PREPARED USE VERBAL PERSUASION MAKE A SAFE ESCAPE