Any serious threats should be communicated to the intended victim and the police, Heidel told the attendees. Past violence, the single best predictor. Patterns of violence. Ownership of weapons. Erratic work history.
Job loss is a common precipitator.
Look for infractions, reasons for discharge, posttraumatic stress disorder. Drug or alcohol abuse. Some 25 percent to 35 percent of substance abusers have committed violence within the past year. Multiple psychiatric hospitalizations increase the likelihood for violence. Dale Masi, D.S.W., president of Masi Research Consultants Inc. at the University of Maryland, said such questions are used to evaluate threats and are not used for preemployment screening, although companies are including more behavioral measures on initial questionnaires and can refuse to hire someone on the basis of such answers.