Crime prevention series

Preface {to Protecting counter and interviewing staff from client agression}

Published in:
Protecting counter and interviewing staff from client agression
Bruce Swanton and Daryl Webber
Canberra : Australian Institute of Criminology, 1990
ISBN 0 642 14974 7 ; ISSN 1031-5330
(Crime prevention series) ; pp. vii-viii

"People don't seem to handle their anger well any more." These words were spoken by an official of an industry staff association whose members are widely subjected to customer harassment. The comment highlights an apparently growing phenomenon in the workplace: aggression expressed by consumers/clients/customers and others toward service providers.

This sentiment, although simply expressed, is complex in its implications, as the following pages indicate. Although there are some elements common to all instances of interpersonal aggression occurring between public contact workers and their clients, some are situationally specific. This booklet is directed to the needs of a defined group of workers, counter and interviewing officers. The corresponding needs of taxi drivers, police officers or flight attendants, for example, would require a somewhat different approach, despite considerable common ground.

The information and advice contained in this publication are pitched specifically at personnel, office and security managers, although counter and interviewing officers themselves will find it of interest. It cannot be emphasised too strongly that despite the advice offered in these pages, not all of which is supported by research, state-of-the-art-advice should always be obtained from those expert in the various areas touched on before proceeding to plan or implement workplace reforms.

The authors trust this contribution to the reduction of workplace violence will be effective and contribute to an improved quality of working life of counter and interviewing officers. Achievement of such a goal, though, is dependent upon workers themselves appreciating that as a group they contribute in no small part to their own victimisation. A vital element of aggression reduction, then, is improved interpersonal relations skills. Collectively, increased commitment to excellence in the provision of services will do much to improve the working lives of service providers as well as contribute to the quality of life of the community generally (Albrecht & Zemke 1985).

Aggression reduction measures need to be viewed within a coherent framework. Such frameworks vary somewhat from industry to industry but that adopted here is extremely flexible and capable of adaptation to a variety of service roles. Managers and others responsible for client aggression reduction programs should examine the flow model shown at Figure 1 in the first instance.

Client aggression toward counter and interviewing officers can occur anywhere, at offices large or small, secure or insecure. Thus, physical circumstances and scale of conflict vary greatly from location to location. In order to permit as wide a range of discussion as possible, the needs of larger organisations are implicit in much of the text. However, it is a simple matter for managers to sift through the various materials and select those of relevance to their particular needs.

The Australian Institute of Criminology accepts an ongoing corporate responsibility for the reduction of violence in society generally. This publication is an expression of that commitment.

The authors acknowledge the kind assistance of Max Gosney, Director of Security, Australian Taxation Office, and an anonymous officer of the Department of Social Security, in critiquing an earlier draft of the publication, as well as the advice of Vaughan Bowie, University of Western Sydney. Lavinia Hill wove her usual magic per medium of her word processor in transforming a disordered manuscript into a readable publication.

Remaining deficiencies are the sole responsibility of the authors.