The initial reaction to a bank robbery varies with each victim. It is important to understand that there will be movement back and forth throughout the four stages. A majority of the robbery victims experience some manifestation of denial following a robbery. Denials of the severity of the incident and any physical, psychological or social impact is common. Bank management often incorrectly assumes that employees recognize and verbalize their true feelings.
Victims frequently experience, but almost never associate, bodily aches and pains.
There is sometimes nausea, fear, helplessness and continued anger. Concerned, scared and confused friends and family of impacted bank employees often express their fears by blaming the victim for the incident. These people forget that the criminal selected the victim. This well intended assessment by the extended victims often results in placing guilt on the employee. An acknowledgement of the event and its seriousness, along with the experience of it as a past event which is over, rather than one which continues to intrude on one's mind.