Managing Aggressive/Hostile Students

1. Managing Aggressive/Hostile Students Bruce Lochner, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President & Director, Student Counseling University of Central Oklahoma OCHE President

2. Disclaimer • Note: Violence in this presentation excludes targeted violence. (See references for targeted violence for more information on this topic).

3. FORETELLING VIOLENCE • Potentially Violent Person • Stressful Situation • The Proper Environment

4. The Profile of the Violent Person • White • Male • Over 30 • Similar to the speaker in demographics • No demographics or “face sheet” data that is useful in predicting who will commit violence

5. The Violent Person • Hx or threats of physical harm to someone • Feels chronically stressed out, has self-esteem threatens • Anticipated or recent significant loss • Disinhibited by drug/alcohol or mental illness (poor judgment)

6. Unbearable Stress: A common but insufficient condition to violence • Four basic reactions to unbearable stress: • Get physically ill • Get emotionally ill • Become hostile toward self • Become hostile toward you • Manipulation to get something • Turn the tables so you feel bad

7. Minor complaints to significant problems Student behavior: mildly angry to assaultive Causes of escalation: perception differences between staff and students From Piqued to Postal 1

8. Who’s Right? Opposing View Points • “Who’s right?” is the WRONG question to pursue • When staff and students vie for righteousness, no one wins • Posturing, score keeping, criticizing, defending can escalate hostile behavior • “How can we find common ground?” is a better question to pursue 3

9. Goals for Managing Hostility • De-escalate angry behavior • Build an alliance • Solve problems

10. Managing Students: Calming the Disgruntled • Listen! • Empathize • Apologize as appropriate 4

11. Managing Students: Taming the Disgruntled • Offer solutions • Ask for feedback

12. Listening Tips • Give them your attention: Ask, “What happened?” • Show concern and attention with calming non-verbal behavior • Ask other questions if necessary 5

13. Empathy Tips • Summarize the student’s point of view • No Buts! Being right vs. getting along • Listening and empathizing can be done without agreement or disagreement

14. The Art of Apology: A Powerful Chill Pill • Despite responsibility, within reason, say: • “I sorry that..” • “this happened to you.”(not an admission of an error for you) • if appropriate, add “we made a mistake.”

15. Offering Solutions • Working to solve problems creates an alliance • Give specific solutions • Get student input

16. Offering Solutions Continued • Avoid cant's, won't, don’ts • “I will certainly schedule an appointment at 0900. Will that work?” • “What else can we do?”

17. Results & Rewards: • Skillful listening, apologizing , and offering positive solutions helps relieve student distress & disarms hostile behavior

18. Setting Limits to Student Behavior • Some students won’t de-escalate • Staff have the right to be treated with respect

19. Verbally Set Limits • Tell the student you want to help • Point out what behaviors will facilitate your help • Look, I want to hear what’s wrong and help fix it. Could you lower your voice please so I can think better?”

20. Set Verbal Limits • Inform the student that his behavior is interfering with your efforts to help • Suggest an alternative • Wait for student to demonstrate choice before acting

21. How to Say It • Voice : Firm, Calm, & Quiet • Eye Contact: Direct and non-hostile • Body Posture: open, non-threatening, but strong • Facial expression: calm, lacking hostility and frustration

22. Make Environmental Limits • Move the dissatisfied student to a quiet, safe area • Invite them to sit down • Routinely seat yourself closest to the door and mentally plan an escape • Move chairs, hide scissors, etc.

23. Crossing the Line • Aggressive behavior: • Threatening or menacing • Verbal or Physical Gestures • Attracts Attention

24. Crossing the Line • Assaultive and Dangerous • Causes or implies harm (esp. to someone) • kicking, bomb threat, and so on

25. Follow Your Office Safety Plan • Use a code to signal to co-workers your need for back up • In gray areas, your supervisor decides on intervention (Security or direct involvement) • Increase Surveillance

26. Managing Dangerous Behavior • Keep other students safe • Keep yourself safe • Call Security/Police at the number posted on your phone

27. Managing Dangerous Behavior • Don’t fight back • Get away - Retreat if possible • Don’t block them in • Physically intervene only in DIRE situations with sufficient back up (overwhelming force)

28. QUIZ TIME! • Take out your handout, read the scenario, and answer the questions at the end • (see handout When Hostility Turns To Violence [ Counseling/Outreach/violence prevention-assessment-prediction])

29. 1. What should Academic Advisor Adams have done to prevent such violent behavior by Joe Student? • a. Yes. Adams should have called Student and carefully explained why Student was being asked to come in for an audit of his degree plan. • B. Yes. Adams should have told Student that he could bring an advocate/friend when Adams called him to explain why he was being audited. • C. Yes. By leaving the room and taking a phone call after starting the meeting late, Adams added to Student's concern and anxiety.

30. What Adams Missed • Adams failed to respond early to Student's agitated state--his perspiring and red face, his shaking hands. These are often the first warning signs of a person who could become threatening or violent.

31. 1. What should Academic Advisor Adams have done to prevent such violent behavior by Joe Student? • D. No. Most verbal objections, however unusual or even irrational, don't lead to physical or verbal violence. But Adams should have carefully and calmly explained, at the beginning of the interview, why Student had been asked to come in for an audit.

32. 2. How should Receptionist Ruth Recep have treated Student when he came into the office? • A. Yes. The receptionist is usually the first person students meet and may set the tone for interactions with other people--and should stay alert and notice the actions of any student in the waiting area. • B. Yes. When Recep noticed that Student was getting impatient, she should have alerted Adams (or one of Adams's coworkers) and asked him to come talk to Student.

33. 3. When Mary Anne Smythe realized that Student was upset, what should she have done? • A. No. She should not become involved directly in her co-worker's dealings with an agitated student. • B. No. Smythe should follow office procedures and immediately tell her supervisor what's happening. • C. Yes. This is the standard procedure for this office.

34. 4. After Smythe alerted Henry Waxton that a student was acting in a belligerent manner, what should Waxton have done? • A. No. Threatening Student with arrest would be the worst thing to do and would only cause him to escalate. • B. Yes. If the Student has become extremely agitated, the supervisor should notify the Security Services/Police immediately.