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The Top Ten Threat Assessment Questions
When an employee makes derogatory comments toward fellow employees, it
is a type of threat. Every organization needs a threat policy to protect
its employees against derogatory comments just as they are protected from
comments about physical threat.
An example is John Rocker, the Atlanta Braves baseball player who made
derogatory comments about the fans in New York. He states that it is his
competitiveness that leads to his inflamatory comments. Many of his
supporters indicate that he should be forgiven because his is young and
inexperienced. The bottom line is that the target of the perpetrator's
comments are negatively affected by such behaviors. Some may even feel
threatened by the comments.
The following is a list of questions that need to be asked in assessing
employees who make derogatory comments:
- Do you have the in-house expertise needed to assess the situation?
- What is the typical stimulus or triggering conditions that lead to
the perpetrator making the comments?
- Does the perpetrator consider, plan, and prepare before engaging in
the derogatory comments?
- Is the comments reported a culmination of long-developing,
identifiable problems, conflicts, disputes, or failures?
- Are there any materials, journals, or letters created by the
perpetrator that can be collected in order to see how they are related
to the investigation?
- Are there any persons who know or have known the perpetrator,
including family members, friends, co-workers, supervisors, previous
victim, or anyone else who can shed light on the problem?
- Has the perpetrator expressed interest in the target or the group
the target belongs to (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, etc.)?
- Has the person secured or practiced with weapons?
- Is the perpetrator more likely to engage in the behavior in the
future?
- Is the target afraid of the perpetrator?
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