Have you, or any of your staff members ever felt at risk, or been threatened or abused, intimidated, or subjected to physical violence? This can happen in shops, factories and offices, as well as social services, where people may make angry, unreasonable demands often through a “sense of entitlement” or because of some misinterpretation or misunderstanding of processes and communication.

In any workplace, anger and violence may also erupt from people who may be affected by underlying addictions and mental health conditions. Their usual ways of responding may be compromised by the effects or manifestations of disorders, and this requires some knowledge and understanding of underlying issues and use of appropriate approaches, to keep themselves and others, safe.

Naturally, physical conflict should be avoided not only for safety reasons, but also to avoid being potentially vulnerable to a charge of assault. For this reason, having some understanding about potential causes and predispositions for anger/violence, as well as knowing how to use communication and de-escalation skills to effectively defuse these situations, is essential.

Abacus has developed a one day training session which incorporates numerous exercises in pairs/small groups, and a powerpoint presentation, providing an interactive learning experience. The programme also incorporates information and practice around telephone contact, as this is the other “front door” to your organisation. This training provides knowledge from an individual, social, cultural, and environmental perspective, and equips staff with the skills to give them the confidence to deal with potentially risky and stressful situations in the workplace.

Auckland 8 Pompallier Terrace, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011 Phone 09 360 6957 Fax 09 360 6357 Email abacus@acts.co.nz