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Safety Alert: Dealing with Violence
Watch for Signs of Violence
Staff should know ho to recognize the potential for violence in a
person’s behaviour. The potential for violence is usually
signalled by verbal and non0verbal clues.
Verbal Clues ………………………………..
Raised voices
Threats
Repetitive statements by the person
Racist, sexist and other types of verbal abuse
Withdrawal, no communication when spoken to
Non - Verbal Clues ……………………………………
Agitated movements
Threatening gestures
Eye to eye staring
Standing very close
Banging on the furniture
Clenching the fists
Towering or intimidating posture
When confronted with violent behaviour ……………………………….
Try to reason with those attacking property or others and ask them to stop
Do not attempt to physically stop them by stepping in between them and the property they are attacking
Do not attempt to restrain them unless it is a life threatening situation and there are not other options. It
normally takes four or five people to restrain an angry person without damage to themselves
There is a temptation to react to threatening behaviour by adopting the same confrontational body
language in response. This may inflame the situation.
To ensure that pacifying words and body language match:
Take a step back to create space
Raise the hands in front to waist level (as if warming them in front of a fire)
Continue eye to eye contact but blinking every few seconds (a feature of normal eye to eye contact)
Continue to use non-confrontational language and do not touch the aggressive person
Get out as quickly and safety as possible if all attempts to defuse the violence have failed and there is a
real threat of physical damage or your life is at risk
If the aggressive person leaves first
DO NOT
attempt to chase or follow them
Call the police