People who commit violence at work or school often exhibit warning signs in advance. But co-workers, classmates and teachers frequently don\u2019t report threatening behavior, even when a reporting mechanism is in place.<\/p>\n
To help reduce workplace violence and terrorism, UNL psychology professor Mario Scalora is researching the psychological barriers to reporting with a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing what can facilitate people reporting, we can do more preventive actions up front, rather than having to react to ugly situations,\u201d he said. A national expert in threat assessment, Scalora leads one of the country\u2019s most active research programs on the subject. He works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and is the consulting psychologist to the U.S. Capitol Police.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing what can facilitate people reporting, we can do more preventive actions up front, rather than having to react to ugly situations.\u201d<\/p>\n
— Mario Scalora<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Following the 2009 murder of 13 people by an employee at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, the DoD decided to expand its use of Threat Management Units across\u00a0all branches of the military. These teams of specially trained psychologists and law enforcement agents assess and manage employees who exhibit potentially threatening behavior.<\/p>\n
The teams rely heavily on co-workers reporting their concerns, but lack of reporting is the biggest obstacle to preventing violence, Scalora said.<\/p>\n
To develop strategies that encourage reporting, he and colleagues are conducting surveys, focus groups and individual interviews to determine employees\u2019 current understanding of threat assessment, what they see as barriers to reporting and what they think would encourage reporting. Scalora\u2019s team will use the information to make recommendations to the DoD.<\/p>\n
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