TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg. 1

Acknowledgments ........................................ Pg. 2

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Why did we write this? ......................................... Pg. 2

Who is it for? ........................................ Pg. 3

What this manual is not ........................................ Pg. 3

CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND

Profile of the Worker ........................................ Pg. 3

How widespread is the problem? ........................................ Pg. 5

CHAPTER 3: A brief look at some research

Prevention Model ....................................... Pg. 6

Secondary Traumatization .......…............................. Pg. 7

Causes of Violence ....................................... Pg. 8

A summary of the significant issues ....................................... Pg. 11

CHAPTER 4: STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL

BCPOA Strategies ........…............................ Pg. 11

Home visits ....................................... Pg. 11

In Office Interviews ....................................... Pg. 12

Physical Interventions ....................................... Pg. 12

Reporting ....................................... Pg. 13

Training ....................................... Pg. 13

Role and Attitude ....................................... Pg. 14

Protocols ....................................... Pg. 15

Climate / environment ....................................... Pg. 16

Support ....................................... Pg. 16

Education ....................................... Pg. 17

CHAPTER 5: OTHER STUFF

Where you can get more information ....................................... Pg. 17

Bibliography ....................................... Pg. 17

Questions for Field Staff ....................................... Pg. 19

We would like to thank all of the members and supporters of the British Columbia Probation Officers Association for their contributions to this manual. Inspiration and ideas were provided by the professional field staff.

We, the Directors and Members of the British Columbia Probation Officers Association (BCPOA), believe that this manual will promote early identification and prevention of workplace risks. We also believe that this project will improve not only probation officers and family justice counsellors’ health, safety, and job satisfaction but that it will also provide key information and strategies that will be transferable to other sectors. We intend to provide effective education and training specific to the area of promoting healthy, save and supportive work environments across the province.

Probation Officers and Family Justice Workers are entrusted by the community and their employer to provide community safety at the same time as providing service to its troubled youth, adults in trouble with the law, and families who are at various stages of separation. It is in the context of this very important work that safe and supportive workplace practices have become critical. Probation officers and Family Justice workers relate to the Courts, communities, systems, colleagues and above all, clients and their families. We believe it is desirable for workers to operate at the highest and most effective level possible.

There are countless stories of incidents, including "near misses" where probation officers and family justice counsellors, while performing their duties, have been at risk of being hurt, injured, threatened and stressed and in some cases where actual violence has been the experience of the worker. It is unlikely that concerns for worker safety would be reduced even if we could prove that these types of incidents are rare. The perceptions of danger, whether real or suspected, has an effect on the field workers. Throughout this project we will be attempting to gather and provide recognition for the collective knowledge and wisdom of the practitioners in our field and in other similar fields. We will also work to provide support and dialogue within our field particularly around these issues.

We acknowledge the need to work in close relationship between the front line workers, unions and policy makers. Each of us need to make a commitment to being prepared to hearing the ideas of each other in addition to speaking out on our own behalf. This process may move us toward reducing divisiveness and promoting a more inclusive approach to solving issues around safety and supportive practices. We intend to develop some new tools and to promote more consistent utilization of some existing strategies that already exist. Some examples include further development of peer support systems, generic skill building approaches, risk awareness education, improved work environments and climates and hopefully increase opportunities for participation for all parties to feel included and valued for their contribution. A sense of professional pride and collectivity is one of the primary goals of this initiative. Keen individuals may elect to meet on a regular basis to share experiences, analyze incidents and to plan activities.

We are attempting to strike a balance between moving ahead to develop and share sound strategies which have the

potential to be effective, with the need to be responsive and even pro-active to the field. We will move ahead knowing that there will be more information and resources yet to come. We are prepared to provide updates for this work as regularly as needed to keep current with the issues and provide useful support for the workers.

As a process, we invite a 'community' model, which is based on prevention efforts, which integrate professional and informal contributions. We intend to increase the resources available and in this way build on the capacity that already exists within the 'community' of our peers. Working within this community based perspective we envision that all community offices, no matter how isolated or remote, would have the resources and support necessary to assist in the prevention of workplace violence and burnout and to promote safe, healthy and supportive work environments. One key would be to identify and use resources effectively.

• highlighting potential risk factors and situations
• presenting a model for thinking about prevention
• presenting some "survival" strategies that can be implemented
• providing some opportunities for feedback and recommendations
• suggesting some resources that may assist further

• Probation Officers (both adult and youth serving, institution and community based)
• Family Justice Counsellors
• Probation Interviewers
• Team Leaders and Supervisors
• Safety Committees
• Justice Institute Training teams
• Client Supervisors for Electronic Monitoring
• Other professionals working in similar fields with violent client groups

Although this manual represents a good overview of effective strategies to use in the work to prevent, or manage unsafe work environments, we are mindful of its limitations. Strategies are not described in exhaustive detail. We do not intend to duplicate or restate work already being considered by Safety Committees and Workers Compensation Board recommendations. The contents in this manual may not reflect all of the diversity found in each circumstance throughout the province of BC. We would encourage you to highlight for us details that we may have overlooked or some specific unique examples that would assist in this manual being as comprehensive as possible. We will need to update this manual as new information comes to our attention.

Probation Officers and Family Justice Counsellors in the province of British Columbia number approximately 450. In addition to generic occupational stressors, in this profession, we have unique stresses in our workplace environments due to exposure to first and second hand trauma, violence and abuse. There has been little formal attention paid to the impact of traumatic material on workers.

Probation Officers supervising adult offenders carry caseloads as high as 200 but average less than half that. Some Probation officers and Family Justice workers work alone or in one-person offices. Some work in mostly urban locations. All work in isolation when meeting with clients. Some workers are itinerant covering large geographic areas that must be driven in all weather conditions and road types. Many types of investigations necessitate home visits and may deal with volatile persons. Clients may be armed and or may have access to items that can be used as a weapon. Sometimes these home visits occur in "crime infested" neighbourhoods or rural locations where the nearest law enforcement assistance may be quite a distance away. Clients include low to high-risk sexual offenders, violent offenders, mentally disordered offenders, and people who are in process of separating and divorcing with often very emotional stressors. Probation Officers and Family Justice workers are subjected to disturbing events, threats to persons and / or property, intimidation, coercion or assault. Probation Officers and Family Justice Counsellors often hear stories about traumatic events from and about their clients. The results can have significant affects on the mental health of the worker. Many of the clients that we work with use drugs and or alcohol and could be under the influence during an interview, or may be residing in residences or neighbourhoods with drug trafficking activity present.

Some issues, which may provide reasons for some of the increase in violence for workers in the human service field, include:

• In youth services, programs provide extra supports to families to assist in keeping children out of care. This may result in only the "most troubling" cases and most acting out behaviour in residential care;
• changes in mental health policy and procedures may mean that more people with personality disorders are not "admitted" into care and are therefore out on the streets;
• the move toward deinstitutionalization has meant patients are being discharged into communities with a variety of problems and may need more care and skilled workers;
• the current unemployment situation can cause many additional stressors for folks already living in communities;
• workers are required to play more of an investigative role in regard to violence within relationships and child abuse and may face aggression from those they have to investigate or report;
• in times of fiscal restraint, some services for some clients may be decreased, which can lead to frustrations, anxiety, and anger by the client.

(Coping with Violence, p.15)

Recent changes in Ministry structure and organization have resulted in adult and youth probation being separated into different ministries and locations. Family Justice workers are now in a different division of the Ministry of Attorney General and in many cases, in separate offices. This restructuring and specialization has resulted in fewer personnel working in the same offices, increasing the instances of officers working alone or with limited assistance from other staff and increase in the amount of time spent in travel to cover outlying areas throughout the province.

Specialization of case loads has increased stress and tends to load some workers with a disproportionate number of higher risk cases and potentially more volatile clients. Along with greater isolation from other officers comes a lack of physical and emotional support. We are now seeing greater numbers of more violent offenders and family clients with little or no information prior to initial meeting with regard to family violence or other violent high risk triggers or situations.

There is more travel incurred by more staff due to the changes in Ministry and the resulting split and further specialization, particularly in smaller communities in the interior and in the northern parts of the province.

The training provided to probation interviewers may not be enough to prepare them for the difficult and high-risk situations that they will be exposed to. Because of the relative infrequency of reported critical incidents which endanger workers, it may be that management has not paid attention to this issue in the same way as it deals with the more routine and "frequent" issues which demand the time of a manager. All of this suggests a perception of greater exposure to violence in the workplace and greater risk to worker health. Exploring innovative ideas will assist workers maintaining health and safety, in a variety of settings and environments.

Probation officers working in institutions are sought after by the offender clients to provide contact, links and successful integration with the outside communities. The stress of being constantly needed can lead to stresses including physical exhaustion. Many institutions are located a distance from where community members (including staff) live. Travel to and from work on frequently isolated roads with varied weather conditions can also contribute to exhaustion for staff. Once at work, staff remain on site for the day and often do not leave the facility for breaks. This can lead to a feeling of being "institutionalized" and out of contact with the outside community.

Another factor that will not be addressed in any substantial way, but is one which may be considered by probation officers and family justice workers is that of 'legal liability' issues. The best general comment is "When one continuously looks over one's shoulder, one cannot keep a close watch ahead." (Desktop Guide to Good Juvenile Probation Practice p. 22). It is difficult to do a good job when every action taken is accomplished in a 'defensive posture'.

Workplace "stress" and "burnout" generally are based on factors including workload, sense of control over one's work, tangible and intrinsic rewards of the work carried out, relationship and sense of "community" among co-workers, perception of fairness in the workplace and the role of personal and organizational values (page 5, Pat Fisher's work). Depression is another significant impact on some of the workers in this field. Depression can be diagnosed and treated. There is literature to assist workers in identifying symptoms or signs of depression. Some find it difficult to seek help because they may perceive that there is a stigma attached to being depressed (seen as a weakness, source of embarrassment), denial that it is present or that it affects functioning or that it only happens to "others", shame at the thought of being dependent on other helpers and possibly medication, lack of awareness in recognition on depression in the self or others.

Some feedback was sought from the field, requesting personal accounts, including "near misses". The following comments were not collected for the purposes of statistical analysis, but as an attempt to identify experiences of field workers:

• "been attacked on two occasions, targeted quite often";
• "if I feel I am going to be physically attacked, I terminate the interview";
• getting phone calls from a client, at home at night. Worker lives in a small town where it is hard to stay anonymous and to "hide";
• "don't like to dwell on it as it would be awful to live in fear and become paranoid";
• "In reality, incidents of violence or near violence are extremely rare";
• "most of the people we see are either angry, depressed, not wanting to be there, some are suicidal at some point and don't recognize their problems";
• being threatened by a youth to assault the worker, break into their home, cause damage and commit theft;
• one AWOL youth with a history of violence and fascination with firearms, cruised by the probation officer’s home several times;
• threatening behaviour directed at youth probation officer in office interview;
• child being transported by family court counsellor starts undressing while in the passenger seat of the vehicle;
• formally "accused" (following a home visit) of inappropriate sexual behaviour by same sex "partner" of accused person in jail;
• receiving a "needle" through envelope in the mail;
• attacked by a very ill schizophrenic not known to the office;
• attacked "right out of the blue";
• received phone calls at home at night that were very disturbing and caused lack of sleep;
• requested (by police) to be involved when a probationer would not speak to anyone "except the probation officer" following a very violent sexual offense;
• probationer followed a probation officer home to the residence;
• probation officer decided to terminate an interview and the client got up as if to leave. The client grabbed a chair and barricaded himself and the worker in the office with no alternate escape route. The probation officer pushed the desk alarm panic button and the sheriff responded quickly.
• threatened by a probationer of assault and damage to the office.

"Prevention" is an important undertaking both in reducing number and seriousness of incidents and also to strengthen the health and well being of the workers throughout the province. An American study in 1988 found that over half of probation officers will be victims of assault or significant hazardous incident during their probation career. (Safety and Defensive Weapons article). Community supervision of clients by probation officers is granted to offenders whose criminal activities, criminal records, and drug use histories are more serious than ever before. Probation Officers are in constant contact with the more serious element of society and have experienced expanded caseloads. Many clients will do "anything" to avoid the consequences of their behaviour.

In the Youth Suicide Prevention Manual, there is a detailed description of Factors to be considered. We can use these same factors in understanding the issues of safety and well being for our purposes, as follows:

• "Predisposing" factors - which are defined as "setting the stage" for vulnerability. Some examples might include a history of victimization in the workers life [previously assaulted in the workplace; depression or other disorder impairing judgement of worker; social isolation from colleagues; feeling disempowered and alienated at work; anxiety from hearing stories of colleagues who were witness to violence; longstanding history of negative experiences in the workplace.]
• "Contributing" factors - which are defined as those which "act to exacerbate the existing risk". Some examples might include exhaustion or isolation of the worker, and lack of awareness or training [no awareness or training in violence prevention or workplace risks; impulsivity; poor coping and conflict resolution skills; substance use; ongoing workplace conflict; negative attitude or experience regarding seeking assistance; lack of supportive peers; reluctance or uncertainty about how to respond and act safely ; presence of weapons; inaccessible community resources].
• "Precipitating" factors - which "act as a trigger for predisposed persons". This might include personal state of the worker at the time [personal failure in similar situations; under personal stress; conflict escalating in a situation; client using substances; worker isolated and vulnerable; client aggressive].
• "Protective" factors - which are "conditions which act to lessen the risk". These might include training and support available to the worker [worker is easy tempered, good sense of humor, positive outlook; worker has training in and is comfortable with strategies and alternate forms of conflict resolution / crisis de-escalation / problem solving; worker feels supported by peers, management and has access to resources immediately; worker feels empowered to use whatever means necessary to be safe in the situation; worker has witnessed or been aware of positive modeling in action; worker has high and yet realistic expectations of outcome and feels competent

We acknowledge that there may be circumstances where the worker is at risk for and/or experiences violence in the workplace that simply cannot be prevented. The actions of the offender are never excused and we are aware that the offender can act in a totally unpredictable way. We can, however use other models of "prevention" in order to minimize the risks to workers in situations.

In the book, Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), several issues of interest to the workers in our field are highlighted. This is a brief sketch and summary of some of the issues presented. The research suggests that workers can be traumatized without actually being physically harmed or threatened with harm, simply by learning about traumatic events. Exhaustion is another risk in the work where we are in role of "caring" for our clients. Some of the symptoms of STS include depression, social isolation, disruption of daily routine, suspicion, feeling persecuted and an alteration of the workers' perception or perspective of the world and how it works. The symptoms that the worker who is suffering from STS experiences are similar to those experienced by the client as a result of the trauma experience itself. These include avoidant responses, physiological arousal, somatic complaints, distressing emotions, addictive or compulsive behaviour and functional impairments.

We come to "know" and be affected by traumatic events in a number of ways. We can experience them first hand and we can be told about them in some other form. We can then re-experience these events through recall, in dreams and through cues that remind us of the incidence. This recall can sometimes cause us to "avoid" certain thoughts or feelings we may have about certain issues. We may avoid activities or situations. We "forget" things. We may minimize. We may experience a diminished interest in certain activities, detach from others, and have difficulty falling or staying asleep. We may develop a sense of doom or diminished affect. We may demonstrate irritability and outbursts, difficulty with concentration, exaggerated startle response and physiological reactions to cues. We can start to over identify with clients, see our self in our client and try to meet our own needs through our client. This theory as outlined in the book, states that these reactions may be a "natural" by-product or working with traumatized people. Workers can begin to feel burnout as a response to the gradual exposure to job strain. We can feel erosion of our idealism and void of achievement as we accumulate intensive contact with clients. We can feel a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, inability to focus or concentrate and withdrawal from the workplace sometimes in the form of lateness, absenteeism, theft, poor work performance, cynicism, substance abuse, defensiveness, pessimism, callousness, aggression, anxiety, guilt and sense of helplessness.

The book offers a test in symptoms of compassion fatigue on pages 18 and 19. It goes on to suggest that although empathy is needed to assist the clients, it also makes us more vulnerable to compassion fatigue. Many workers have a personal history of trauma and they may be triggered by the unresolved trauma of our clients. In order to prevent or minimize the effect on us personally it may mean that we need to process some material that may be upsetting to us. One writer in the book states (p. 29) that those "... who had higher caseloads of trauma clients reported more trauma related symptoms and less interactions with family and friends."

STS can be mediated by some resiliency factors (personal characteristics) of the worker. With more professional experience and training, it has been shown that the symptoms can be lessened. It is also shown that with an increase in the numbers of clients on caseloads that the levels of dissociation and anxiety increase. It has been shown that the less experienced workers suffered the greatest distress. Increase in supervision and support to workers, particularly new workers, is a way to mediate some of the effects of this work. The literature suggests that "therapists" report higher percentage of childhood and other trauma than the general public. We suggest workers participate in training and skill development. Providing peer support can decrease the feelings of isolation and overwhelming responsibility that comes with this work. One suggestion is to assign "varying" caseloads to involve non-trauma cases and also to include "non-clinical" activities, such as research. Workers should be aware of and try to decrease other stressors in their lives such as might be present in physical health, general job satisfaction, satisfaction with family and interpersonal relationships. Workers who hear repeated stories of terrible and traumatic events start to acknowledge that they are not safe, that they are vulnerable and that there is instability in their daily living. Some of the studies show that with increase in support in the workplace, there is a decrease in the levels of stress felt by the worker. Also indicated is that if the worker has experienced sexual trauma themselves, they may show increased STS symptoms from their work.

"Vicarious traumatization is a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors." (p.51). By doing this work with our clients we open our selves up to deep personal transformation including personal growth, a deeper connection to individuals and a greater awareness of aspects of life. STS is also an occupational hazard. The effects are cumulative and the erosion can be gradual. The effects are permanent. They may also be painful, intrusive and remain with the helper even after work is complete. The good news is that the effects are also modifiable. Some of the suggestions for self care follow. It is suggested that you do what feels right for you to do, not try to take on all the suggestions at once.

• engage in activities where you play a dependent or receiving role
• involve yourself in creative endeavors such as music, art, writing, gardening, exercise, dance, and drama
• take vacations, do some pleasure reading, rest and relax in leisure, travel
• get emotional support from colleagues, ask for consultations
• read professional literature, get involved in social justice activities
• find some forum to recall and name the rewards of doing this work. This is essential and it renews our sense of finding meaning in the work and reconnects us with others and with humanity.
• laughing and crying with colleagues normalizes our own responses and renews us for more.
• stay connected and aware of your body and its needs, take breaks.

Connecting with peers can assist with providing us with a valuable resource such as back up, making calls to assist us and even help us with paperwork. They can help us clarify our insights by listening carefully and accepting our feelings on the issue. They can correct distortions by assisting us to more objectively assign blame or credit. Sometimes we need peers to help us to reframe our role, provide an empathetic link and offer another perspective.

Connecting within groups of peers or colleagues can assist us by providing acceptance that we are under real and legitimate stress. They can accept that the problem belongs to all members of the group and not just that of the individual and they can collectively seek solutions and not assign blame. Groups of caring colleagues can provide a high level of tolerance for an individual and their circumstances. Support in this form can be expressed clearly, directly and abundantly in the form of praise, affection and commitment. Communication should be clear, open and direct. It is the responsibility of the group to respect that each individual has unique ways to process and recover and has unique needs. The group can assist to identify a general pattern and provide normality.

In the book, Coping with Violence, the author offers some explanations and draws some conclusions for the causes of violence in the context of safety for human service workers. He makes a distinction between "instrumental" and "expressive" forms of violence. Instrumental violence is described as that used to force a person to do or to stop them from doing something. Expressive is the expression of feelings such as rage, anger, fear, confusion or loss of face. (p. 17).

Some theories suggest that violence comes from:

• a particular persons psychopathology;
• behaviour accompanied by use of drugs and alcohol;
• biologic, genetic or instinctual reactions;
• reactions to an over-stimulating environment;
• learned behaviour in the family, with peers or through the media;
• trying to decrease a heightened level of frustration;
• trying to boost self esteem;
• an attempt to increase excitement or as a response to a dare;
• a sense that people are aggressive by nature and violence is used to solve problems;
• an attempt to redress an imbalance or stop an encounter;
• attempt at revenge against an action;
• de-individuation of persons such as in war, racism, and games like football;
• a sense that violence performs a certain necessary function within society;
• a belief that certain cultures or sub groups are more violent and use violence as a legitimate way to an end;
• a theory that conflicts are inevitable and if not resolved, violence can occur;
• an assumption that some people have less access to resources or power and that violence can be used to gain these resources.

Of course there may be many combinations of some of the above mentioned ideas that make it helpful to try to understand violence. None of these may be very useful in the "prediction" of violence.

Some factors, which may have some relationship to the likelihood of and occurrence of violent actions by a client, are:

• a past history of violence;
• young single males;
• low souci-economic status;
• residential mobility; mental illness;
• unmet physical needs;
• unmet emotional needs leading to a desire to prove themselves;
• displaced anger from past situations;
• feelings and attitudes toward the service organization.

Some common signs of aggression include:

• tense and agitated appearance;
• increase in pitch and volume of voice;
• pupils dilated;
• change in usual skin color;
• angry or withdrawn behaviour;
• abrupt responses and gesticulations;
• increased physical movements, pacing, banging objects;
• gathering weapons or allies;
• acting out behaviour at others;
• expressing fear of losing control or doing harm.

The author goes on to explain that there are some pragmatic reasons for violent behaviour by people. These include fear, frustration, manipulation, intimidation and a result of a pain or illness or impairment response. Not only is it useful for workers to assess what is motivating the person's violent behaviour, it is also useful to know what level of violence the person has reached so that an effective intervention can be utilized. Understanding the "phases" of the assault cycle can be helpful and are described in this book in some detail. The phases are: the triggering event; escalation phase; crisis point; recovery phase; and post-crisis depression.

Several strategies are described as useful in understanding how to intervene in specific types of situations in order to attempt to de-escalate a crisis or violent situation. Some examples include, where there are multiple problems within a single situation, the worker should select and focus on one and pick the "one" by analyzing the probability of changing that situation by persuasion rather than by force. When there are "competing" agendas, the worker may be effective in trying to select a single focus. If there are "competing" audiences, the worker may need to make themselves the "primary" audience in the encounter. Audiences can involve individual persons, groups or multiple groups who may be known or unknown to the participants.

A few factors to consider in deciding how one will communicate in an intervention include:

• a person cannot avoid communicating;
• communication involves both content and context factors;
• the message sent is not always the message received.

"Much of what is considered reality by a worker or the other person is really only the sum total of their own personal set of assumptions."( p.35.) The worker's task is to understand the other's worldview and try to communicate in a way, which is relevant to that view and in the current situation.

Some strategies for communicating may include:

• appeal to their reason (using questioning, clarification, re-interpretation, advice giving, correcting errors in their logic, lead them to re-interpret events in a less aggressive fashion, point out unseen alternatives, re-examine sources [perhaps faulty sources], encourage thinking about what they are saying, try to get person to focus on the facts and problems and problem solving);
• appeal to emotion (choose words that trigger positive reactions rather than negative ones, show appreciation of the persons culture and be sensitive to areas of insecurity, by using words that emphasize strengths not weakness);
• ethical appeal (show fair and reasonable persona);
• appeal to consequences (showing probable end results of behaviour - frame in positive light not negative - show benefits of cooperative behaviour);
• appeal to socio-cultural pressures (family honor, face, identity, peer pressure, societal norms, reasonableness);
• use of non verbal forms of communication (body language, tone, space, touch, sounds, pauses, volume, eye contact, expressions, movements, gestures);
• in increasing conflict workers should use simple non-abstract words and phrases, be clear and concrete (words up to 5 letter and sentences up to 5 words);
• acknowledge the aggressor's statements (without reflecting emotion) and 'broken record' technique can be useful;
• stay calm inwardly and outwardly - self control (focus on breathing, muscle relaxation, self talk, voice modulation, posture, clarity);
• avoid being seen as a threat or intruding (respect other persons physical and emotional space;
• avoid cornering (blocking escapes, forcing into corner, stopping them from leaving, and win-lose type verbal cornering);
• concentrate on building relationships (building bond between worker and other in order to get other person to be part of resolution);
• be sensitive and flexible as to how the other wants the relationship and pay attention to those verbal and non verbal cues (use of their name that makes them feel comfortable);
• early on, try to get the person to agree on something in order to build the first small step of cooperation;
• incorporate the aggressor's own world view into helping process by reframing their perceptions;
• reinterpret their actions in a more positive light;
• seek points of similarity rather than differences;
• enlist their help as allies rather than enemies;
• comment on their behaviour not on possible motivations behind it;
• avoid impression of making judgements or reading their mind (allow room for them to deny feelings attached to their actions);
• stay focused on present (deal with here and now, not dwell in past);
• avoid statements with 'never' or 'all' or 'any', avoid exaggerations and black / white statements;
• reassure, calm and support the aggressor;
• keep requests short, direct and non-condescending (do not speak as a parent to a child);
• when asking questions avoid casting doubt on the other persons ability;
• avoid making promises that you cannot keep or that are beyond your control;
• don't attempt to predict future outcomes;
• if possible offer a 'face saving' way out for the aggressor;
• don't overreact when aggressor threatens to harm another (take focus off threatened person and onto aggressor's needs or wants);
• use praise carefully (letting them know they are a person of worth);
• slow the communication where appropriate, letting the aggressor know they are important and gives worker time to think and appropriately respond;
• if not in crisis stage yet, worker may try to divert attention away from expressing anger by seeking further information;
• when appropriate use distractions (asking for water, faking dizzy or fainting, comment on smell of gas) giving the worker opportunity to redirect to more positive action.

• personal training on safety issues and strategies;
• recognize your unique vulnerabilities and assets
• get support from colleagues and peers, self-care and STS awareness
• support and dialogue with team leaders and managers
• opportunities to keep up on emerging trends in a variety of ways
• opportunities to support other colleagues and peers in the field
• access to resources, techniques, tools, equipment, training, education
• it is important to track personal 'near misses' to assist in development of possible practices that can reduce the risks
• find alternatives to conflict in workplace situations;
• recognizing and accepting the client is choosing their action
• separate the behaviour from the person;
• non judgement of client
• consider the "context" of behaviour; let go of misconceptions and fear
• practice and rehearse situations to minimize feelings of helplessness and negative self criticism / programming your mind before the crisis or critical incident
• practice listening skills and notice body language - yours and theirs
• be more conscious and respectful of "intuition"
• if you are nervous you may need to back off and reconsider. Not taking foolish risks (intuition is often correct)
• practice positive "self talk" that is based on a commitment to succeed
• example "I CAN feel relaxed" (avoid using words like "try")

It is difficult to predict with any accuracy when or where violence in the workplace is most likely to occur. We therefore will focus on the best information available that can assist workers in making each situation as safe as we can, by identifying situations and possible outcomes, planning for a worst case scenario and providing information and strategies that will assist workers in being as safe as they can reasonably be in any given situation.

• distribute this manual with training and explanation
• generic skill building
• establish support group core for both new and experienced workers
• support initiatives and research by management, union, WCB, and justice partners.

Probation officers doing intensive supervision, and family justice workers going to volatile homes should consider calling a back up probation officer, family justice worker and or back up police. Another option is to inform local law enforcement of itinerary in case emergency help is needed. Workers should weigh out the "need" to go, and consider consultation with a supervisor. It seems logical to predict that the risk to a probation officer or family justice counsellor is greatest at home visits when the client is "found" engaging in activities which would be in violation of an order and or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition it could be possible that the worker would be placed at risk from persons who are "family" or "in the neighbourhood" also as described in the previously named situations, such as violating an order or under the influence of substances. Panic buttons or distress signal devices could be available for workers who need to attend for home visits. Use of cellular phones might be helpful in some circumstances and if nothing else to enable the worker to call the office to let them know the visit has ended without incident. Home visits sometimes take place in unsafe buildings in need of repair or where visibility is poor, where there are several staircases to climb, which can present hazards for the worker.

The following strategies are suggested for those going on home visits:

• gather all relevant information ahead of time on the person and situation you will be visiting;
• plan out the visit to avoid having to waste time or repeat visit;
• let other's know where you are going and expected time of return;
• ask for police support if necessary;
• hire or contract with persons or agencies to assist with home visits;
• do not go alone especially at night;
• make use of available light (park under street light, pick route that avoids shadows, carry flashlight)
• park a distance from the home and walk quietly toward the scene;
• listen for sounds of a disturbance or anything unusual (you may be being observed);
• stand back from the door giving the other person space and giving you opportunity to move quickly if necessary;
• identify yourself and do not enter unless invited;
• upon entering observe the state of the house and note possible escape routes;
• Do not remove your shoes;
• respect personal space and boundaries (private areas);
• choose appropriate place for meeting (avoid bedrooms, kitchens or a favorite chair, stay clear of weapons);
• sit down at same time as other person and avoid cluttered or noisy environments;
• decide strategy if more than one worker, or more than one interviewee in room;
• demonstrate your interest to assist person to help clarify 'problem';
• try to leave on a positive note;
• document all necessary information gathered on visit.
• be prepared to terminate the visit at any time

Workers could consider having "panic buttons" installed on office telephones or the desk (ensure the alarm rings to a reliable spot where there will always be someone who can respond in a crisis). There needs to be secure areas around the clerical areas in the office. Attention should be given to the safety design of the main office and that of the individual worker to facilitate escape if necessary. Workers should participate or join the office or building safety committee and lobby for safe working conditions particular to their work environment and clientele. Carry out escape and evacuation drills just as you would for fire drills.

There is no one intervention that will work in all situations. Workers would do best to familiarize themselves with a variety of strategies and to practice and try out different skills so that when they are needed, the skill will be accessible to the worker. Ideally, use the approach that would avoid the infliction of pain or use of unnecessary force by the worker on an aggressor. Methods of controlling or restraining violent individuals will not be covered in this manual, but extra training may be desired by some workers depending on their work situations.

Workers can be prepared by developing skills in the area of psychological preparedness (worker having their feelings under control and being able to judge their limitations, knowing options such as when to leave, ask for help). When workers are prepared psychologically they may not behave out of desperation in a crisis. They may be more equipped to manage their feelings of fear and anger, at least while in the crisis. Perceptual preparedness is when the worker can anticipate the actions of the aggressor and use them in part of an intervention strategy to escape or minimize the action.

Physical preparedness involves knowing about and practicing strategies that can assist the worker to maintain some control over a crisis situation. Some examples include:

• breathing in a controlled way;
• avoid standing in a danger zone (where you can be kicked or punched). Safety zones are beyond where you can be struck by a blow, outside of reach of a punch or kick;
• avoid standing in front of attacker. Stand to the side or behind, at an angle to the aggressor;
• avoid sudden movements, crowding or threatening gestures;
• workers should not have arms folded or crossed as this may be perceived as hostile or defensive;
• fists should be unclenched and arms by the side, not pointing or gesturing;
• assume a non-threatening protective posture if anticipating being struck or kicked;
• if the worker can assess the dominant side of the aggressor, the worker should stand slightly off center of the aggressors dominant hand or foot;
• stay "balanced" [balance with feet apart, moving to a lean in order to keep balance];
• eye contact should be used carefully and avoid using it so much that the aggressor feels threatened or challenged;
• glance from time to time to eyes and also keep note of throat area (checking for changes, flushing, tension, rigidity) and allow for peripheral vision to pick up on any sudden movements by hands or feet;
• deflect and or block in response to punches;
• grab the aggressor’s hands when confronted with grabs and holds.

In the book Coping with Violence there are many strategies given for physical protective responses to aggression. It describes in some detail the "SACRED" approach to managing aggression. [S= self control; A= analysis of situation and then environment; C= choice of strategies; R= responding appropriately; E= evaluation of effectiveness of interventions; D= decision on next step].

Some workers may be hesitant to make reports of incidents or "near misses" to management for fear that they will be considered incompetent or that they failed to comply with some policy or procedure that was in place. They may also feel that there is little that can be done, now, after the incident and so shy away from making a report. Workers may also feel that relative to "other stories" they have heard that the incident they have been exposed to is simply not significant enough to report. Failing to report, for whatever reason, can place the individual worker or subsequent workers in risky situations. Workers should consider reporting not only actual incidents where the worker was harmed or threatened, but any "near miss" situations as well. These reports will help us understand the kinds of risks to workers as well as increase the probability that we will be able to analyze the situation and support preventative action in future.

We need to work with instructors at JIBC to incorporate procedures for new trainees and existing staff. The BCPOA welcomes feedback from JIBC as new issues emerge and new practices are suggested. Updates made to this manual will be done by BCPOA Executive and copies kept current with JIBC. Training and support is made available to existing senior workers as well as managers, specialists, etc. through collaboration with JIBC. New staff should be given full understanding of work situation and realistic risks involved. Staff should be required to attend training initially and ongoing regarding the identification, prevention and reduction of violence. Staff should be given anticipatory information as to what constitutes "normal" reactions to stressful and abusive situations. Workers need to feel confident about reporting situations and near misses to management and that their reports will be respected and acted upon appropriately. Workers should be aware of the risks of working in isolation and know where to access help. High-risk situations should be given to those most adequately able to deal with them, providing appropriate back up and support to those that work in community based settings and client homes. Differing strategies and procedures should be developed for client based settings compared with agency and institutional settings. All workers should be trained in assessing, debriefing, counselling and referral of workers who have been victims to the various forms of workplace violence and trauma. Staff should be trained in follow up and support as peer counsellors.

• self defense and verbal gymnastics
• reading body language
• "common sense" options
• how to identify dangerous situations and how to avoid them
• recruiting and utilization of back up resources
• crisis intervention and defusing
• how to and when to use non lethal techniques if required
• interlocking issues of violence prevention, defusion and post trauma support

Clarification of the different roles of enforcement of the law and advocacy for the offender can reduce intra-personal conflict. Some workers are more comfortable with focusing on one extreme of the role, whereas others are quite comfortable performing both roles. Some workers may in fact vacillate back and forth between the roles depending on the client and clients particular situation at the time. The philosophy of the "organization" has influence on which particular role the worker will adapt. According to research, role conflict can be one of the factors contributing to job stress and burnout. Some argue that lack of variety in the roles within the work could lead to boredom and dissatisfaction that leads to yet a different form of job stress.

There is research about the "intensive supervision" officers and what attitudes they have and develop in their unique roles. Probation officers are more likely to be seen in law enforcement role in intensive supervision tasks and less likely to be perceived to be "helpers". Research also suggests that this "surveillance-oriented approach" is not effective in reducing recidivism. This same research was carried out with electronic monitoring program with the same results. The research concluded that a "balanced" approach using both roles produced the best short term and long term results with offenders.

The principles of 'effective' interventions with offenders in the context of attitudes of workers are briefly summarized as follows:

• intensive services, which are behavioural in nature, are provided to high-risk offenders;
• programs are highly structured and fair;
• positive reinforcers outweigh negative punishers by at least 4 to 1;
• responsivity of the offender is considered;
• workers are trained and supervised to interact with offenders in sensitive and constructive ways;
• offender change is monitored;
• relapse prevention methods are used; and
• there are high levels of advocacy and brokerage present.

These principles suggest that the primary goals of intervention include "offender change" rather than constraint or control. Both structure and support are necessary elements and positive reinforcement is more effective at producing change. Workers need to be able to develop relationships with their clients that include warmth, genuineness and flexibility. Workers need to be able to model behaviour in concrete ways. Workers are a source of reinforcement as well as 'punishment'. A model for workers would include that they do not only do home visits because they are required to by standards, but that these visits assist the client in some positive change. In addition to focusing on non-compliance and negative consequences, workers need to use positive reinforcement to promote behavioural change.

The following scale (taken from the article "Moderating Officer Attitudes" p.305) may be useful in thinking about "role" and "attitude":

One of the suggestions in the enhancement of the profession is to be accountable to a professional set of ethics governing behaviour. A commitment to quality of work and professionalism by the workers will be instrumental in developing protocols of how we work together with and within other agencies, government, union and our colleagues. Some examples of the content of such a "code of ethics" (taken from the Desktop Guide to Good Juvenile Probation Practice p.117) would include:

• exercising independent professional judgement and not allow other relationships to influence professional conduct or create the appearance of influence;
• never use the workers official position for personal gain and to not accept any items of value from clients including gifts, loans, privileges or advantages;
• never use position for partisan political purposes;
• represent clients competently by keeping up on current education and training and trends / developments;
• diligently safeguard that all reports regarding clients are timely, relevant and accurate;
• not to purport competency to make judgements beyond those for which she / he is qualified to make;
• acting to prevent practices that are inhumane, discriminatory, disrespectful or unethical towards clients or colleagues;
• protecting clients legal rights;
• maintaining impartiality with respect to integrity of clients;
• staying informed of clients’ condition and conduct;
• not to seek information beyond that necessary to perform the duties and to not disclose information to those not having a professional need for it;
• having an obligation to fully and objectively advise the client of information necessary for informed decision-making.

In developing protocols, it would be useful to involve unions, management, policy makers, colleagues, other professionals and administrative support persons.

Many professionals in the helping field have difficulty accepting a role as "victim" in their workplace. Often they see this victimization as "part of the job" and included in what they are expected to put up with. Many colleagues see them selves as part of a "tight knit" work environment and this may make it difficult for the individual worker to express feelings of uncertainty, vulnerability or fear. Many workers who have been "injured" at work but who are still able to work, try to minimize the abuse they have received, may feel isolated from their peers and this can show in feelings of apathy, anger or trying to withdraw. Another negative force that can be seen is blaming and distancing that can occur between co-workers. A climate that fosters understanding and support for all workers would be able to provide support to the individual workers who may be affected by workplace violence and secondary trauma. Training in aggression management skills gives preventative information to all members in a work environment and does not stigmatize those who may wish to take such courses. Normalization of the issues as outlined in this manual can assist in keeping the topics of workplace violence from being sensationalized and avoiding unnecessary anxiety for workers.

An office climate that provides support for workers, includes management that supports the assessment of "unsafe" situations made by individual workers. Research suggests that to minimize negative consequences of violence in the workplace, including post-traumatic responses and secondary victimization, management can adopt some strategies that might include:

• staff having immediate and extensive opportunities to talk about their feelings surrounding these issues with colleagues and supervisors;
• debriefing in a non judging manner should be available within 24 hours and should be respectful of the workers skills and workplace environment;
• management, supervisors and coworkers should be aware of and be able to demonstrate understanding to workers of the "normal" reactions that workers have to workplace stressors;
• practical assistance in the form of personal protection strategies or changes in workload can be offered by management and be available for workers;
• allowing time off from the job or time out in alternate work environments could be another practical response;
• support for training and seeking of other career opportunities may be needed.

Probation officers and family justice counsellors should periodically step outside their role and ask themselves the following questions: are the clients on my caseload any better off, the community safer and more confident or victims more supported as a result of my interventions? How do I know and how can I do even better?

There is a collective wisdom from the group that sustains the group. Collectivity weaves the individual within the group and increases its strength. Peer support groups can be established to hear stories and provide assistance and support / debriefing. Early interventions for critical incidents within 24 hours can provide a good base for rapid resolution. Using the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing model offered through the JIBC would provide the most current and widely accepted model to assist and support workers. Contact with the Employee Assistance Program might be a good idea as they can provide services for Ministry workers. Creating a joint management and staff "team" with some of the following as roles:

• team could monitor and deal with violent incidents;
• ensure guidelines and procedures for dealing with violent people and worker victims are formulated and carried out;
• collect incident reports and collate appropriate strategies;
• examine violent episodes with recommendations for future action;
• evaluate outcome.

Education should include not only our profession, but also our colleagues in MCF and Ministry of Attorney General, administrative support staff, probation interviewers, lawyers, judges, and victim assistance workers.

Our services are largely invisible to the general public and if it is known to some, it could be mistaken information based on sensational and exceptional events described in media. An educated public will respond more intelligently to the challenges and problems of crime and probation interventions. Public education is essential to incorporate the general public as community justice partners.

• JIBC Library - articles, books, videos
• Mental and Public Health Services; Alcohol and Drug Services
• Conferences and Workshops on subjects of: Secondary Traumatic Stress; Violence in the Workplace; Self-Care; Occupational Health and Safety
• Workers Compensation Board

Bowie, Vaughan. Coping With Violence: A Guide For The Human Services Sydney, Karibuni Press, 1989.

Cohn, Alvin W. "Weapons and Probation and Parole Officers: Do They Mix? "The Journal of Offender

Monitoring Vol. 10 Issue 3, 1997, pp. 1-9.

DelGrosso, Ernest J. "Probation Officer Safety and Defensive Weapons: A Closer Look. "Federal Probation,

Volume 61, Issue 2, June 1997, pp 45-50.

Dorn, Nicholas and Lee, Maggy. "Mapping Probation Practice with Drug Using Offenders. "The Howard Journal

of Criminal Justice. 1995, 34, (4), pp. 314-325.

Fulton, Betsy and Stichman, Amy and Travis, Lawrence and Latessa, Edward. "Moderating Probation and Parole

Officer Attitudes to Achieve Desired Outcomes." The Prison Journal. Vol. 77 Issue 3, 1997, pp. 295-312.

Giovannoni, Joseph. "Increasing Efficacy and Eliminating Burnout in Sex-Offender Treatment." Safer Society

Press, 1997, 8 pages.

Holgate, Alina M. and Clegg, Ian J. "The Path to Probation Officer Burnout: New Dogs, Old Tricks. "Journal of

Criminal Justice. 1991, 19, (4), pp. 325-337.

Lindner, Charles. "The Probation Field Visit and Office Report in New York State: Yesterday, Today and

Tomorrow." Criminal Justice Review. 1992, 17, (1), pp. 44-60.

Lindner, Charles and Bonn, Robert L. "Probation Officer Victimization and Fieldwork Practices: Results of a

National Study." Federal Probation, Vol. 60 Issue 2, 1996, pp 16-23.

Lindner, Charles and Del Castillo, Vincent. "Staff Safety Issues in Probation. "Justice Professional 1994, 8, (2),

pp.37-53.

Lindner, Charles and Koehler, Richard J. "Probation Officer Victimization: An Emerging Concern." Journal of

Criminal Justice. 1992, 20, (1), pp. 53-62.

Martin, Dennis R. "Probation and Parole Worker Safety: Examining an Urgent Issue." Perspectives. Vol. 15 Issue

1, Winter 1991, pp. 20-25.

National Center for Juvenile Justice. Desktop Guide to Good Juvenile Probation Practice. U.S. Department of

Justice, Pittsburgh, PA., 1993.

Parsonage, William H. Worker Safety in Probation and Parole, National Institute of Corrections, United States,

April 1990.

Simmons, Calvin and Cochran, John and Blount, William. "The Effects of Job-Related Stress and Job Satisfaction

on Probation Officers' Inclinations to Quit. "American Journal of Criminal Justice, 21, (2), pp. 213-229

1997).

Sluder, Richard D and Reddington, Frances P. "An Empirical Examination of the Work Ideologies of Juvenile and

Adult Probation Officers." Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. 1993, 20, (1/2), pp. 15-137.

Snelgrove, Toby, Ph.D. Critical Incident Stress: Sources Reactions and Solutions. Easton-Snelgrove, 1998.

Stamm, B. Hudnall, Ph.D. Secondary Traumatic Stress: Self-Care Issues for Clinicians, Researchers & Educators.

Maryland, Sidran Press, 1995.

2. What kinds of activities, training and or education have you used to minimize the risks?

4. How might this "survival guide" initiative help to prevent similar incidents for you or others.

Name __________________________________________ Phone #__________________

Address ________________________________________ Fax # ____________________

E-mail: ________________________________________

You may send in your comments to the BCPOA

Directly to Pamela MacDonald at E-mail [email protected] or

By telephone 250 371-3600, Kamloops British Columbia Canada

In what way would you be willing to assist in the development of this Survival Guide for Probation Officers and Family Justice Counsellors?

_______ work on manual, research, typing

_______ work on development of training resources

_______ talking to colleagues about their experiences, passing on to committee

_______ meeting with management, union regarding policy and input

_______ writing updates, communication bulletins for members and committee

_______ organizing events for committee, joint meetings to work on strategies

_______ fundraising to support the initiative

_______ other activities or ideas?? Please describe: