Preventing Violence: Resources for Charities

By Rebecca Gardyn

Critical Incident and Violence Intervention League. Intended for employees of the National Institutes

of Health, this Web site (http://civil.nih.gov) includes practical information for supervisors on the topic of violence on the job.

National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. This Web site (http://www.ncdsv.org/ncd_linksworkplace.html) provides articles and other resources for employers whose workers have been subjected to physical abuse at home.

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. The coalition (http://www.ncavp.org) offers a list of programs nationwide that advocate for victims of violence and harassment directed at gay people and those with HIV/AIDS, or who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or police misconduct.

National Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children Association. This list of resources about criminal-background checks (http://www.casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/criminal-bkg-check.htm), compiled by the association, includes links to Web sites and phone numbers for governmental agencies in each state from which criminal-background information on employees can be obtained.

Nonprofit Risk Management Center. This site offers a “toolkit” (http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/ws/c7/violence.htm) of resources specifically geared to help charities prevent and deal with all types of crises that occur on the job, including violence. On the home page (http://www.nonprofitrisk.org), look under “Tools,” then “Mission Controls” for helpful free fact sheets, such as the “Threatening Call Checklist and Record Sheet.”

Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Commonly known as OSHA, this federal government agency (http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/index.html),provides statistics showing what kinds of workers are most at risk of violence, as well as free documents that help organizations set up violence-prevention plans, such as the “Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers” (http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/healthcare/index.html). This document tells how to conduct security assessments and set up employee training at such groups, which can be especially vulnerable to violence.

U.S. Department of Justice. The government agency’s Web site includes a document, “Violence in the Workplace, 1993-99″ (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/vw99.htm) that offers the most current and comprehensive statistics available on the extent of crime that occurs on the job.

Workplace Solutions. This charity (http://www.wps.org) in Red Hook, N.Y., helps organizations conduct security-risk assessments, create safety plans, and train employees in communication skills that can keep conflicts from escalating.