Act of Violence – An act of violence is the attempt (coupled with the ability), or actual use of force of violence with the intent to threaten, harass, intimidate, commit a violent injury, or damage/destroy property.
Threat – A threat is a statement (verbal, written or physical) which is intended to intimidate by expressing the intent to either harass, hurt, take the life of another person, or damage/destroy property. This includes threats made in jest but which others could perceive as serious.
Harassment – The creation of a hostile work environment through unwelcome words, actions, or physical contact not resulting in physical harm. Verbal harassment may include disparaging or derogatory comments or slurs, unreasonable or excessive criticism, or name calling.
Intimidate – To make afraid; to frighten, alarm, annoy, or scare. To force a person into, or deter them from, some action by inducing fear by, or as if by, threats.
Stalking – Stalking occurs when any person willfully, maliciously and repeatedly follows or harasses another and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his/her safety or the safety of his/her immediate family.
Workplace Violence – The three major types of workplace violence are:
Type I – The aggressor has no legitimate business relationship to the workplace and usually enters the affected workplace to commit a robbery or other criminal act such as robbery.
Type II – The aggressor is either the recipient or the object, of a service provided by the affected workplace or the victim, such as a current or former client, patient, customer, passenger, criminal suspect, inmate or prisoner.
Type III – The aggressor has some employment-related involvement with the affected workplace such as a current or former employee, supervisor, manager; a current/former spouse or significant other, a relative, friend; or some other person who has a dispute with an employee of the affected workplace.
