Workplace Violence And Harassment

Workplace Violence and Harassment

Introduction
There are several variables that add up to make an inadvertent injustice within the criminal justice system. For example, when an eyewitness testimony is impartial or slightly skewed, it can drastically affect an outcome for somebody, also when an officer’s testimony is bad and or when the fourth amendment is violated by wrongfully searches and seizures. Work place violence can be either physical, mental or verbal abuse. It is not taken lightly in the workplace especially when it comes down to threats and physical violence. Some of the signs an individual may portray towards others before he or she acts include; threatening phone calls, aggression in the workplace, and or stalking. These are all great warning signs to keep in mind when dealing with co-workers or visitors in the workplace. There are some triggers that may set off an individual and make them act towards their place of employment. Some of those sources of
distress are layoffs, poor wages, or a under staffed work site where more pressure is put on an individual.
Work Place Violence
What is workplace violence? According to our textbook Understanding Violence and Victimization by Robert J. Meadows, workplace violence is “…. such activities can lead to stress or physical abuse. Violence in the workplace includes behavior encompassing more than physical attacks. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health defines workplace violence as threats of assault, verbal violence, and harassment” (Meadows p98). Some people think that workplace violence on includes physical harm. That’s where they are misinformed, workplace violence can also be spreading rumors about co-workers which can affect their reputation or undermine their authority. Some of the warning signs an individual may portray are unusual behaviors, being uncooperative with supervisors, curses often, spreads gossip and rumors deliberately to harm others. Sometimes they may even say they are going to do an act of violence towards others either directly or indirectly by writing.

Workplace Violence VS. Harassment What is harassment? Harassment is defined as consistent attempts by one person to annoy, break the person down, frustrate, or get a reaction from another person. It can create a hostile work environment towards all the persons involved. Sexual harassment is also a type of harassment. Sexual harassment can create a hostile work environment especially when one or more employees engage in sexually offensive or biased behaviors, including inappropriate joke telling that targets someone based on their gender or sexual preference. One thing can lead to another, it can quickly escalate from an unwanted sexual advancement to an act of violence.
Reducing Workplace Violence Like I said before, workplace violence makes a hostile work environment and very uncomfortable for others to function properly, even the ones not directly involved.
There needs to be a policy in place for the dealing with these situations. Communication is key, everybody should feel comfortable discussing any situation with a supervisor or the human resources personnel. When an issue is brought up it should be taken into consideration and evaluated to reduce serious injury or further escalation. Regular training sessions should take place to keep all of the staff members informed of the common warning signs of violence and how to report such acts. If an individual fears violence in the workplace he or she should immediately report it to their supervisor and refrain from provoking the aggressor. At the place of my employment, it is encouraged to keep track of dates and times of when the incident took place if possible. An important one is to avoid any type of retaliation towards the
aggressor.

Sources
Meadows, Robert J.. Understanding Violence and Victimization (Page 98). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.