Coping with Aggressive Behaviour

This book includes a summary of the psychological theories which have been produced to explain aggression. Offering practical advice on methods for assessing dangerous situations and on developing personal and organizational strategies for coping with aggression, this book will be an invaluable tool towards controlling or constraining the aggression of others. 1. How to cope.

2. Explaining aggression - some theories.

3. Predicting aggression.

4. Patterns of assault.

5. Victims and victimization.

6. Avoidance, escape and control.

7. Safety culture.

Professor Glynis Breakwell is Professor of Psychology and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Surrey University, UK, and a consultant in industry. She has worked widely in the areas of identity dynamics and social representation development. Her other books include Interviewing, Coping with Threatened Identities, and Basic Evaluation Methods (with Lynne Millward). Incidences of aggression and physical violence in society are of growing concern to everyone, but those working in the caring professions are particularily at risk from the very people they are trying to help. Coping with Aggressive Behaviour looks at the incidence of attacks across professional groups and examines:

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• where and when violence is likely to occur
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• which individuals are most likely to be attacked
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• common indicators of an imminent attack
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• patterns of assault
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• how both individuals and organizations can deal with incidents when they do occur
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• what can be done to minimize the occurrence of attacks
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• how organizations can develop better safety cultures for their staff
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• how staff can be helped to deal with the aftermath of an attack

Self-assessment exercises and case studies challenge the reader to analyse his/her own experiences and preconceptions of when, and to whom, violence occurs. Providing practical guidance as well as a careful consideration of the issues involved, this book will ,be of interest to all those whose work may sometimes necessitate them being in potentially dangerous situations. It is a revised and updated edition of Facing Physical Violence, originally co-published with Routledge.