GUIDELINES FOR RECOGNIZING AND RESPONDING TO THREATS OR INCIDENTS OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

These guidelines are intended to help reduce the risk of workplace violence by providing employees and supervisors with information on how to recognize and respond to threatening behavior or acts of violence.

ROLE OF THE THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAM

The University has established a Threat Management Team to assist employees and supervisors should a threat or violent incident occur in the workplace. The purpose of the Threat Management Team is to minimize the risk of workplace violence through proactive measures such as:

• communication concerning the team’s purpose, composition, and the process for reporting incidents;
• education of faculty, staff, managers, and administrators to reduce the frequency and seriousness of violent events;
• consultation with individuals who report incidents or express concerns about threatening behavior or workplace violence;
• reporting potential violent situations to the appropriate officials to diffuse the situation;
  coordinating post-incident follow-up debriefing activities.
  

TEAM COMPOSITION

DEPARTMENT NAME CONTACT NUMBER

RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

Threats are expressions of intent to do harm. They may be indirect or direct, verbal or non-verbal. Violence is any act of physical, verbal or psychological threat, or abuse, assault or trauma on an individual that results in physical and/or psychological damage.

Every situation is complex and it is not expected that department chairs and managers be experts in assessment of threats. The University does expect that department chairs, directors, managers, and other administrators consider any threat potentially serious, obtain professional consultation, design interventions in consultation which will reduce danger and continue to maintain Old Dominion University as a safe place for teaching and learning.

1. Non-specific threat/violence not imminent:

If it is determined that the threat is not serious and is unlikely to result in danger to any member of the University community, the chair, manager or administrator should:

A. Contact a member of the Threat Management Team.

B. In consultation with a member of the team, assess the level of danger and conduct an administrative inquiry.

C. If the inquiry results in the belief that the threat was specific, refer the matter to Campus Police.

D. If not, designate an intervention such as counseling or treatment referral, or take appropriate corrective action such as warning, reprimand, suspension or dismissal.

When confronting an individual under these circumstances:

A. Inform the individual that it is not acceptable to make such threats.

B. Inform your immediate administrator of the incident, the results of the consultation and the action plan.

C. Document the incident. Describe the sequence of statements and the context. Give details of the context. Have threats been made in the past? Is the student or employee known to have a weapon? Is there a long history of animosity between the threatening individual and the other person? This information will be helpful in evaluating the level of risk if there is another threat in the future. Cite consultations, plan of action, and action taken.

2. Specific threat/violence imminent:

If it is determined that the threat is serious and may result in danger to a member of the University community, the chair, manager or administrator should:

A. Contact Campus Police at ext. 4000 or call 911.

B. Advise your immediate administrator of the incident; if the incident involves a student, contact the Vice President for Student Services; if the incident involves a faculty member, contact Academic Affairs; if the incident involves an employee, contact Human Resources.

C. Immediate actions that may be taken by Campus Police include restricting access, initiating surveillance, providing police security, and conducting an investigation.

D. If the investigation results in probable cause that a crime was committed, the individual will be apprehended, detained for investigation, barred from the University, and subject to judicial action.

If no probable cause exists, then the matter will be referred to the management reporting
line for appropriate administrative action.

EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITES

• It is each employee’s responsibility to be alert to potential threats and harassment and to immediately report all incidents of threats.
• The first step in reducing violence in the workplace is to identify situations that hold the potential for turning violent. If an employee is aware of a threat, the employee must inform his or her supervisor, or a member of the Threat Management Team of the potential for violence.
• Even without an actual threat, employees should report any behavior they have witnessed which they regard as threatening or violent, when that behavior is connected to university business.
  
• Do not try to evaluate or ignore the seriousness of a threat. All threats, whether considered serious or not, must be immediately reported.
• An employee who has secured a Protective Order from a court which lists university locations as being protected areas, should make his or her supervisor aware of the existence of the Order and should file a copy of the order with the supervisor.

Click here for more information on Workplace Violence, Policy 1.80.