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A more realistic look at our efforts to control violence in our workplaces, schools and homes. Increasing the use of guns is NOT the answer. |
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GUNS NOT THE ANSWER WHEN DEALING WITH VIOLENCE Robert F. Conte, Esq. It was recently suggested by an elected official in Wisconsin, that in dealing with violence in our schools we should consider allowing the teachers to carry guns. Putting more guns into our workplaces or our schools is not the answer. The best place to start the process of dealing with violent activity, whether in our schools, our home or in our workplaces is to learn to recognize the signs associated with violence and to act on them when they begin to surface. As we have seen, violence in our society can happen anywhere and at any time. No segment of our population, no organization and no school is immune. We must sensitize everyone to the effects of violence and its impact on society and the community in which we live. To combat this newest form of terror, we must join together to create a culture that promotes and encourages open communication. In most cases involving violence there is usually a failure to communicate that begins a chain reaction which ultimately leads to violence. Our failure to recognize and promptly respond to the situation, or in the worse case, ignoring it, will likely have disastrous consequences. Whether we choose to accept this fact, it is nonetheless true: violence has become a part of our everyday life. We have seen in the events of the recent past it can occur anywhere and at any time, in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces. In most cases, the people who commit these violent acts are desperate and have lost hope. There is also a lonesome, searching feeling among these people that something, anything must be done. These feelings of hopelessness are the ingredients for a violent incident happening in your organization. Violence in our workplaces, our schools, or our homes creates serious problems. To date, no piece of research has provided a clear reason that explains why violence occurs in one setting and not another. History has shown, however, that acts of violence can happen anywhere and at any time; no organization is immune. We must accept the fact that no-state of-the-art security systems, no psychological expertise and no human resources information can guarantee an end to violence in our institutions. What we have learned is that taking positive action through the development of preventive measures will help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Adding guns to an already volatile situation will not lend itself to the cure but rather adds fuel to the fire. Organizations such as our schools and our workplaces are well-advised to become proactive in their effort to reduce stress and violence in their respective settings. Employers and administrators alike must learn to recognize the early warning signs associated with violent activity and to avoid confrontation with any potentially violent person. It is always advisable to protect the bulk of an organization's employees/students and to treat those who need help individually. That is the best anyone can do. We cannot wait until the problem becomes uncontrollable before we decide to act. Our organizations must have their policies and procedures firmly in place and circulated among everyone who has a need to know if there is to be any chance of controlling a violence problem before it escalates into a potential calamity. Awareness and education are the keys that will unlock the box for understanding and resolving violence-related situations. Improving communications, recognizing the early warning signs of erratic or changed employee/student behavior and learning to deal with that behavior through well-developed programs which are consistently applied in a fair and balanced discipline system, will go a long way toward reducing stress in our institutions. The failure to be alert, to take the steps necessary for preventing acts of violence before they occur, is an invitation to disaster. Once a school or workplace violence incident has occurred, whether it results in a loss of life or otherwise causes related physical and emotional injury, the scarring from the event will become so deeply imbedded the community may never be the same. A single incident of violence whether in our schools, our homes or our workplaces will forever change the lives of everyone involved and it may take years, if ever, before any healing can occur. **************** Information for this article was condensed from my book, "They Never Saw It Coming … An Employer's Guide for Reducing Stress and Violence in the Workplace" (Bristol Banner Books, ©2003). For more information on this subject, you may contact Robert F. Conte at: 105 East Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 400, South Bend, Indiana 46601; by telephone at (574) 234-3900; or by e-mail at rfc@contelawoffice.com . You can also visit the website of Robert F. Conte at www.contelaw.ws . |
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