Demographic profiles are the most useful tools in predicting who will become violent at work. Demographic profiles are too generic to be useful in predicting who will become violent at work because they focus on gender, race and age. To avoid generalizing or stereotyping, managers and coworkers must focus on observable behaviors instead. There is no way to predict workplace violence. Managers and coworkers can anticipate, assess and even manage the risk of internal sources of workplace violence by identifying and addressing high-risk employee behaviors before they escalate into violence.
Security guards can prevent workplace violence.
Security guards are helpful in preventing workplace violence from external sources. However, they are not helpful in preventing violence from internal sources such as current or former employees, employees' families, friends and acquaintances. Workplace violence cannot be prevented. The GoldSmith Agency's unique approach provides a comprehensive review of the organization, culture, personnel and industry critical information. This permits a detailed, specific risk assessment and the strategies for dealing with the identified risk.