The Aftermath of Violence Prevention strategies primarily focus on the protection of employees from a perpetrator of violence.
Attention also needs to be focused on the victims and witnesses of workplace violence.
There is a need for action by managers should an incident of workplace violence occur. Witnessing lethal violence and having potentially been a target for such violence ordinarily gives rise to stress symptoms, including intrusive thoughts, anxiety when in the space where the incident occurred, and sleep difficulties. Such symptoms can be disabling for long periods of time. It is believed that there are differences among people in resilience, with greater vulnerability to post-traumatic stress among those with previous experience of violence, those with preexisting psychiatric conditions, and those without supportive relationships outside the workplace. However, anyone present during an incident of lethal violence may be afflicted by post-traumatic stress symptomatology.