To answer that question, many mental health professionals agree that those who commit school and workplace violence don’t act on this behavior without warning. Instead, they tend to progress along what is known as the pathway to violence.
The Pathway to Violence
- Ideation: The person begins to have thoughts about engaging in a violent act and harming someone/others.
- Planning: The person begins to develop a plan to engage in a violent act to harm someone/others.
- Preparation: The person begins making specific preparations to carry out his/her plan to harm someone/others.
- Implementation: The person acts on his/her plan and preparations by committing violence upon someone/others.
Many mental health experts also agree that in addition to progressing along the pathway to violence, a person at risk of engaging in school or workplace violence often exhibits specific behavioral warning signs for weeks and even months prior to committing the violent act.
Warning Signs to Prevent Violence
• The person has a major unresolved grievance or grudge, and sees no alternative to resolving it except by violence.
• The person has made communications suggesting ideas or intent to attack someone/others.
• The person has shown inappropriate interest in attacks, attackers, or weapons.
• The person has engaged in attack-related behaviors, such as developing an attack idea or plan, acquiring weapons, testing access to potential targets, or rehearsing an attack.
• The person appears to have the means and ability to carry out an attack plan.
• The person is experiencing hopelessness, desperation, and despair.
• The person sees violence as the acceptable, desirable, or most effective way to solve problems.
It is important to realize that the more behavioral warning signs a person exhibits, the greater the likelihood that he/she will act on committing violence against others.
Resources to Prevent Violence
For the sake of decreasing the incidence of future atrocities such as the Newtown school shooting, if you know of someone who seems at risk to commit a violent act against others, consider contacting local police, and/or talk to your work supervisor, teacher, parent, or a trusted friend or family member for guidance. More importantly, if you personally are experiencing the impulse to commit violent acts against others, please consider obtaining mental health services for yourself. You can locate a qualified mental health provider in your area by contacting the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) at 800-950-NAMI or www.nami.org.
