SSP Workplace Violence Prevention 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a threat has been assessed as 'high risk' by a Threat Assessment Team, which intervention is MOST appropriate?
- Issue a formal written warning to the subject
- Implement a safety plan and coordinate with law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Transfer the subject to a different department
- Require the subject to attend anger management classes
Correct answer: Implement a safety plan and coordinate with law enforcement
A high-risk threat requires immediate safety planning and law enforcement coordination to protect potential victims and manage the subject.
Question 2: The term 'proximate cause' in the context of workplace violence litigation refers to:
- The physical location where violence occurred
- The direct causal link between employer negligence and the harm suffered (Correct answer)
- A near-miss event that almost resulted in violence
- The employee closest to the aggressor at the time of the incident
Correct answer: The direct causal link between employer negligence and the harm suffered
Proximate cause establishes that the employer's failure to act was the direct legal cause of the injury or harm suffered by the victim.
Question 3: Which environmental design principle is MOST associated with natural surveillance in workplace violence deterrence?
- Installing high fences around the perimeter
- Designing spaces that maximize visibility and eliminate blind spots (Correct answer)
- Requiring all visitors to sign in at reception
- Placing security cameras in every room
Correct answer: Designing spaces that maximize visibility and eliminate blind spots
Natural surveillance through CPTED principles involves designing spaces so that legitimate users can naturally observe and monitor the area.
Question 4: A supervisor notices that a previously high-performing employee has become increasingly irritable, made statements about 'not being around much longer,' and recently went through a divorce. The supervisor should:
- Assume this is a personal matter and avoid involvement
- Document observations and report to HR or the TAT per policy (Correct answer)
- Confront the employee directly and ask if they plan to harm anyone
- Recommend the employee take vacation time
Correct answer: Document observations and report to HR or the TAT per policy
Multiple warning signs — behavioral changes, concerning statements, and personal stressors — warrant a structured report to HR or the TAT for professional evaluation.
Question 5: Which approach is MOST effective for reducing the stigma around reporting potential workplace violence threats?
- Publishing the names of employees who have made threats
- Fostering a speak-up culture and protecting reporter confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Requiring mandatory reporting only from security personnel
- Offering financial rewards for reporting coworkers
Correct answer: Fostering a speak-up culture and protecting reporter confidentiality
Encouraging a speak-up culture while protecting the confidentiality of those who report concerns reduces fear of retaliation and increases reporting.
Question 6: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer may discipline or terminate an employee who makes a credible threat of violence even if the behavior stems from a disability, because:
- The ADA does not cover employees with mental health conditions
- Posing a direct threat to others is not a protected status under the ADA (Correct answer)
- Federal law supersedes the ADA in all workplace violence cases
- Termination is automatically justified by any threatening statement
Correct answer: Posing a direct threat to others is not a protected status under the ADA
The ADA's 'direct threat' provision allows employers to take action when an individual poses a significant risk of harm that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation.
Question 7: Which post-incident activity is MOST critical for long-term organizational recovery following a workplace violence event?
- Immediately resuming normal operations to minimize productivity loss
- Providing Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and counseling to affected employees (Correct answer)
- Conducting media interviews to control the public narrative
- Filing insurance claims before notifying employees of the incident
Correct answer: Providing Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and counseling to affected employees
CISM and professional counseling support are essential for addressing psychological trauma and facilitating employee recovery after a critical incident.
SSP Workplace Violence Prevention 5
When a threat has been assessed as 'high risk' by a Threat Assessment Team, which intervention is MOST appropriate?