Transcript Dealing With Hostile, Demanding, Irate People -or

“Anything that interferes with the flow of the
educational process.”
Examples:
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Aggression
Attention-eliciting behavior (noise, poor
hygiene, intoxication, mannerisms etc.)
Laughter
Distraction
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309.81 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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312.34 Intermittent Explosive Disorder
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309.0
Adjustment Disorder, Unspecified
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301.xx
Personality Disorders
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Threat Assessment
Any situation can escalate
Disruptive Behavior
Active Shooter
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An Exciting, Thrilling
Systemic Approach to
Managing Aggression
No, this is not
electronic engineering!
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Academic programs or majors
4.85
Admission requirements
4.78
Tuition and fees
4.77
Campus safety
4.76
______________________________________________
 Financial aid
4.64
 Information for parents of prospective students 4.62
 Accreditation
4.61
 Information for accepted students
4.59
 Visiting campus
4.56
 Payment plan options
4.49
 Housing and residence life
4.48
 Faculty and teaching
4.44
 Graduation rates
4.43
 Student life and activities
4.40
 Job placement rates
4.27
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Static Factors:
Stable, characteristic, typically do not
change.
Dynamic factors:
Ever changing, have a story line.
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Early 20’s and 30’s (peaks)
Male
Lower Social Class
Low IQ
Major Mental Illness
OBS
Past History of Violence
History of Violent Suicide Attempts
Interrupted Work History
Prior Criminal History
Access to Lethal Weapons
Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs
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24%
27%
34%
54%
61%
71%
Desire for attention/recognition
Suicidal or desperation.
Attempt to solve a problem.
Multiple motives.
Desire for revenge.
Feels bullied/persecuted/threatened
by others (retaliation theme).
Bensimon (1994) ; FBI (2007):
• 20’s, 30’s or 40’s.
• Threat (or perceived) of being dismissed (75 %).
• Believe s/he has been treated without respect
they deserve- Recall the movie, “Falling Down.”
• Feels humiliated/dehumanized.
• Does not accept Authority.
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With the above aspects present, mental illness or substance use does not necessarily
increase the violence risk factor.
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Active Duty
Inactive Duty
Reserves
National Guard
Spouses
Children
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May lack direction
Stimulation-seeking
Are critical
Short attention spans
Confused
Statistically, few have PTSD (12 to 21%) [Milliken, et.al. 2007; ]
Boundary issues
Dangerous and at-risk triggers for acting out
Domestic violence engaged at home
Affection issues
Untapped grief
Army Service Member with
TBI and PTSD
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Who becomes impaired and in what way?
 All members:
18.5 % develop either PTSD or Major
Depression.
19.5 % have possible TBI.
20 % have depression or a stress disorder
and more than half do not get treatment.
 Women:
41% sexually assaulted.
13 to 30 % experienced rape.
22% have PTSD
More women in military likely to be raped
than shot
41% of women who present to VA TX
centers report being victims of military
sexual assault.
Aspergers Disorder:
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On the Autism Spectrum of Disorders
Social interaction difficulties.
Little interest in dating.
Rigid, linear in thinking: Point A to Point B.
Stereotypic behaviors.
Flat affect.
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Often average to above IQ.
Commonly had IEP in high school.
Lacks expressed empathy, but emotional
acting out.
Oddities in voice intonation, loudness,
verbose.
Goal-driven
If you have seen one, you have seen one.
Don’t’s
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It’s a technological society (distance learning,
online courses, impersonal, transient, they only
want information—not a friend)
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We are BIG; we are BUSY!!
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People enroll—no matter what.
Do’s
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Be Professional
Be Kind
Be Respectful, Student-Centered
Be Calm
Know that you are only as good as your
last performance…
 Understand that--no matter who,
no matter what…
Individuals were like the way they are
before they met you…
and so,
there is no sense in taking their behavior
…personally.
After the first point of conflictual contact,
Get out of your head,
Because…
and into their’s.
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Alleviates fear and serves to buffer your
emotions (detachment)
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Helps you understand as opposed to be
defensive
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May help problem-solve rather than be
judgmental
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Separates WHAT they want from WHO they are
To be vigilant…
Do not ever assume that a “situation” is harmless:
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You do not know what is going on at present
You do not know their recent history
You do not know their agenda necessarily
You do not know their stability (The 82 ¢ mistake)
You do not know what their triggers are
You do not know if they are a frequent flier
Protect yourself
Take care of your needs
Customer service
Protect Yourself!
▪ Barriers
 Doors
 Lobby
 Other people
▪ Communication
 Phrase Codes
 Panic Buttons
▪ Buffers
 Other Staff Members
 Diffusion
 Posturing
 Distraction
 Boundaries
Tips for controlling the learning environment
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Whatever you do, do it in the first or second
class.
Set the tone of your class environment
immediately.
Clearly convey your expectations.
When a situation arises, address it NOW!
“This College…” instead of “I…”
Learn how to define “disruption”
Be aware of the 15/1 rule
Consult!
“Anything that interferes with the flow of the
educational process.”
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Aggression
Attention-eliciting behavior (noise, poor
hygiene, intoxication, mannerisms etc.)
Laughter
Distraction
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Applied
Interventions
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History and Potential for
Violence—baseline functioning,
in Control
Sense discomfort, out-ofcharacter, tension
Informal
intervention HERE
Acting out, verbal or
physical;
External control is required
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Diffusion- taking the intensity down.
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Diversion- changing direction of the flow.
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Distraction- disrupting the thought process.
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Remain calm, remain calm, remain calm.
Empathize.
Invest some time.
Establish student’s need; ‘understand’ him/her.
Be goal-oriented, strive for results, options.
Maintain space; use non-aggressive posture.
Be assertive, not aggressive.
Only use power as “trump” as a last resort.
Think win-win.
Allow for “saving face.”
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Watch their eyes.
Watch their hands.
Listen to their voice intonation.
 Listen to their pace of speech.
 Watch their body posture.
 Monitor to see if they are not
responding to your intervention.
 Separate “Anger” from “Aggression.”
 Point out consequences.
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The process of
influencing a decline
in emotional intensity
and likelihood for
acting out.
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Reflection of
Feelings
Guidance
Breathing & Behavior
Pacing
Tempo
Paraphrasing
Perceived Problem
Watch
Hands & Eyes; Posture
Be Supportive (Challenge: How can we be supportive
within the scope of hostility?)
There is no one standard approach…
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Ask for his/her help; engage them.
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Briefly ask about their educational goals.
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Focus on what you can do for them.
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Shift topics; get off track for a minute.
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Keep the student off balance.
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Candy bar example
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The magazine
The beverage
The candy bar
Take Care of Your Needs
(before and after an incident)
▪ Communicate directly & timely.
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Learn how to end sessions/conversations.
Consult with others.
Take control of the contact/limit-setting.
Set boundaries
Get into your comfort zone; be empowered.
Get additional training.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
• Value the student as an individual.
• Best game face on.
• Realize the student may want the same thing as you.
• Empathize, reflect feelings.
• Learn how to apologize.
• “How can we make it right?”
• Think “Developmental.”
• Think Win-Win.
The
Encounter
Student Factors:
Behavior
Personality
Tainted?
Agenda
Employee Factors:
Training
Personality
Concurrent Stress
Employee Appraisal:
PrimarySecondary ThreatEmotion focused
Redirect/solve
Resources
Intervention
Problem focused
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(U S R)
People Need To Feel Understood & Valued;
Which is Satisfying;
Which then leads to Retention*
* Noel-Levitz
Kellie Brennan, J.D., Student Conduct
Coordinator, 614-287-2117
Wayne Cocchi, MA., Dean, Student Life,
614-287-5004
Mark Querry, Ph.D., Psychologist, Coordinator,
Mental Health & Drug Prevention Counseling
Services, 614-287-5416
# 1 A student comes to your class with, what
smells like, alcohol on his breath. As he
walks by you to take his seat, his odor
strongly gets your attention.
o Should you consider addressing your perceptions?
Why or Why Not?
o What do you do?
# 2 You have told Sally in class twice
now, not to wear her IPOD headphones
in class. Today she came in wearing her
head phones.
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Why do you think she is wearing them?
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What do you do?
#3.
Raul is talking to his classmate in the back
of your room. He has not responded to your
request to raise his hand to speak and keeps
chattering and laughing.
What would you do?
How would you do it?
#4. A dissatisfied student shows up in your office. He
is blatantly irritated, seemingly with you. He alleges
that your test was not reflective of the class
material and tells you that you need to grade him
“on the curve, or do something to make sure I get at
least a C.” He tells you that he is damned sure not
going to lose his financial aid because of your
incompetent teaching ability. His voice is noticeably
escalating and you are deep in your office, behind
your desk. He then throws a book your way.
What are your specific concerns?
What do you do?
#5. A student in row 4 is constantly dropping
papers, pencils, blurting out irrelevant
comments and randomly laughing. When
you encourage her to try to think about her
comments before she speaks, she states, “I
am Bipolar—what do you expect?”
Now what happens, what do you say or do?
#6. Two students engage in an argument within a
class discussion on social issues. They get to the
point of putting down each other and have
monopolized the class. Some students laugh; others
freeze up and are uncomfortable.
When you intervene with them, one barks back,
“This is free speech. I am not cussing and allowed to
say my opinion”--and--continues to argue.
What can you do?
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Should you be concerned?
Why or why not?

Bensimon, H.F. (1994, January). Violence in the Workplace. Training and
Development, 48, 27-32.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2000; 2007). Uniform crime reports for
the United States, 1998. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing
Office.
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Johnson, P.R. and Indvik, J. (1996). Stress and Workplace: It takes Two to
Tango. Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 11, Issue 6., p18-27.
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Marcus, R.F. and Swett, B. (2003). Multiple-Precursor Scenarios:
Predicting and Reducing Campus Violence. Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, Vol. 18, Issue 5., p553-571.
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Milliken, C., Auchterlonie, J., & Hoge, C. (2007). Longitudinal assessment
of mental health problems among active and reserve component soldiers
returning from the Iraq war. JAMA 298 (18) pp. 2141-2148.
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Mohandie, K. (2002). School Violence Threat Management.
(FBI).
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Noel-Levitz, Inc. (2008).E-Expectations: Circling over
enrollment: Te E-Expectations of the parents of college-bound
students. Noel-Levitz, Inc.
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Resnick, P.J. and Kausch, Otto. (1995). Violence in the
Workplace: The Role of the Consultant. Consulting
Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 4, NO.4, 213-222.
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University of Iowa, Injury Prevention Research Center.
Workplace Violence: A Report to the Nation (Feb., 2001).
Iowa City, Iowa.