Workplace violence is not limited to an active-threat incident. It may involve threatening behavior, intimidation, harassment, stalking, domestic violence that enters the workplace, conflicts between employees, aggressive customers or members of the public, or targeted acts of violence.

Employees are often the first to observe changes in behavior, escalating conflict, unusual communications, or other concerning activity. Training helps them understand how to recognize potential warning signs, report concerns through the proper channels, protect themselves, and support an organized response.

A professionally designed program can help your organization:

• Increase awareness of workplace violence risks and warning behaviors;

• Establish a shared understanding of prohibited and concerning conduct;

• Improve employee confidence in reporting threats and safety concerns;

• Strengthen communication among employees, supervisors, human resources, security, legal counsel, and public safety;

• Reinforce de-escalation, personal-safety, and emergency-response practices;

• Clarify leadership roles and decision-making responsibilities;

• Evaluate workplace violence prevention and response policies;

• Improve coordination with police, fire, emergency medical services, and other community partners; and

• Identify practical improvements before a serious incident occurs.

The goal is not to create fear. It is to give personnel useful information, clear procedures, and greater confidence when confronting difficult or potentially dangerous situations.

Every organization has different facilities, employees, customers, services, schedules, access controls, reporting structures, and operational demands. Ohio Criminal Justice Consulting works with your team to develop training around the risks and responsibilities that matter most to your workplace.

Training topics may include:

• Understanding the full range of workplace violence;

• Recognizing concerning behaviors and patterns of escalation;

• Distinguishing difficult behavior from behavior that may require intervention;

• Reporting threats, warning signs, and safety concerns;

• Responding to threats made in person, by telephone, in writing, or online;

• Verbal de-escalation and conflict-management principles;

• Personal safety and situational awareness;

• Domestic violence, stalking, and their potential impact on the workplace;

• Managing aggressive customers, clients, patients, visitors, or members of the public;

• Emergency notification, lockdown, evacuation, sheltering, and accountability procedures;

• Active-shooter and active-threat preparedness using Run, Hide, Fight principles;

• Leadership and supervisory responsibilities;

• Threat-assessment and multidisciplinary coordination;

• Working with law enforcement and emergency responders;

• Crisis communication and public-information considerations; and

• Post-incident recovery, employee support, documentation, and organizational learning.

Content can be adapted to the organization’s goals, available time, employee responsibilities, facilities, policies, and level of experience.

Employee Awareness Training

A practical session for employees at all levels. Participants learn how workplace violence may develop, what behaviors should be reported, how to use internal reporting procedures, and what actions may improve personal and collective safety.

Supervisor and Leadership Training

Focused instruction for executives, department directors, managers, supervisors, human-resources personnel, and legal or risk-management staff. Topics may include receiving and documenting reports, assessing urgency, coordinating intervention, making safety decisions, communicating with employees, and activating emergency procedures.

De-escalation and Conflict-Management Training

Scenario-based instruction that helps employees recognize escalation, communicate calmly, maintain appropriate boundaries, request assistance, disengage when necessary, and avoid actions that may increase danger.

Active-Shooter Preparedness: Run, Hide, Fight

Employees receive practical instruction in the Run, Hide, Fight approach to an active-shooter or active-threat emergency. The training emphasizes that participants must quickly evaluate their circumstances and choose the safest available protective action:

• Run: Recognize escape opportunities, move away from danger when it is safe to do so, leave belongings behind, and help others escape when possible;

• Hide: Select a location out of the attacker’s view, lock or barricade access points when possible, silence devices, remain quiet, and prepare for changing conditions; and

• Fight: As a last resort when life is in immediate danger, understand the need for decisive action to disrupt or incapacitate the attacker using available means.

The session can also address emergency notifications, evacuation and lockdown procedures, communication with 911, interaction with responding law-enforcement officers, accountability and reunification, considerations for individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs, and immediate post-incident actions. Examples and discussion are tailored to the organization’s facilities, workforce, policies, and emergency plans.

Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Workshops

Facilitated workshops for leadership, human resources, security, legal counsel, risk management, communications personnel, and public-safety partners. Workshops can examine policies, reporting systems, threat-assessment practices, emergency authorities, communications, continuity, and recovery.

Tabletop Exercises

Participants work through a realistic workplace violence scenario in a controlled, discussion-based setting. A tabletop exercise can test reporting, decision-making, threat assessment, emergency communication, protective actions, coordination with first responders, continuity of operations, and post-incident responsibilities.

1. Initial Consultation

We meet with your organization to discuss workplace concerns, facilities, employee responsibilities, existing policies, reporting procedures, prior incidents, and training goals.

2. Program Design

We develop a customized curriculum, presentation, discussion questions, case examples, and practical scenarios appropriate for the audience and workplace.

3. Training Delivery

We provide clear, engaging instruction focused on practical application. Sessions can incorporate facilitated discussion, scenario-based decision-making, leadership workshops, and tabletop exercises.

4. Participant Feedback and Evaluation

When requested, we collect structured feedback and identify areas where participants need additional clarification, training, or organizational support.

5. Recommendations and Follow-Up

Optional follow-up assistance may include policy review, written recommendations, leadership briefings, after-action reporting, improvement planning, and development of future training or exercises.