Chapter Fourteen: Violent Behavior in Institutions

Precipitating Factors

Substance Abuse

Deinstitutionalization

Mental Illness

Gender

Gangs

Required Reporting

Elderly

Institutional Culpability

Readily accessible to clientele

Easy prey for people looking for money or drugs

Minimal security system

Institutional Culpability Cont.

Universities and their Counseling Centers

Counseling offices are isolated

Seung-hui Cho (Virginia Tech)

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

Denial

Do not want bad publicity

Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (Clery Act)

Staff Culpability

Believe they are immune from the threat because they are supportive and caring

Client may act aggressively if they feel they have little control over their treatment

Staff also need to set limits in a positive, firm, fair, and empathic manner

Staff Culpability Cont.

Staff members who are burned out are more likely to be assaulted than those who are not

46% of all assaults involved students or trainees and the incidence of assaults decreased as the workers gained experience

Legal Liability

Health-care providers may be the victims of assaults but they may also become legally liable for their actions

Liability extends to the institutions and directors of those institutions

Failure to properly diagnose, treat, and control violent clients or protect third parties from assaultive behavior

One of the better predictors of who will be at risk to become violent is the collective judgment of clinical workers.

Violence Potential Assessment Instruments

HCR-20

Violence Screening Checklist–Revised (VSC-R)

Broset Violence Checklist (BVC)

Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA)

Bases for Violence

Age

Substance Abuse

Predisposing History of Violence

Psychological Disturbance

Social Stressors

Bases for Violence Cont.Chapter 14 – Violent Behavior in Institutions
Question(s): Be prepared to discuss
What does an institution need to do to be sure that its workers are safe? (Please, mention the 5 main components of an effective safety and health program to prevent workplace violence)

Grading Criteria:  Mention the 5 main components of an effective safety and health program to prevent workplace violence (10% each for a total of 50%). Briefly describe each one (10% each for a total of 50%).
The answer should be based on the knowledge obtained from reading the book. It is not your personal opinion.