Workplace Terrorism Research Articles

Security interventions and perceived safety and threat following workplace terrorism: a three-wave longitudinal study of ministerial employees in Norway

Spending on counterterrorism interventions has increased markedly in recent decades despite limited evidence supporting their effectiveness. Effectiveness research is mostly based on statistical modelling of risk and risk reduction and tends to ignore the impact interventions have on the subjective consequences of terrorism in a population – e.g. increased fear and anxiety. Feeling fearful and unsafe is common after terrorism and has been shown to mediate negative health outcomes and reduce work functioning in violence-exposed workers. The primary aim of the present study was to explore if visible security measures and escape- and evacuation training are associated with perceived safety and threat in terror-exposed employees. Data from a three-wave longitudinal questionnaire-based observational study of ministerial employees conducted 10, 22 and 34 months after the terrorist attack on the government headquarters in Oslo, Norway in 2011 was combined with retrospective data on installed visible security measures and escape- and evacuation training in ministries for the same period. The main outcomes were employees’ perceived safety and threat at work, both scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Results were analyzed with multilevel mixed-effects ordered logistic regression. There was some evidence that more installed visible security measures were associated with higher employee perceived safety at work (.020 < p value < .061). The findings on the association between security measures and employee perceived threat were unclear, and there was no evidence that escape- and evacuation training was associated with employee perceived safety or threat. Contrary to what is oftentimes argued in the literature, our study suggests that the installation of visible security measures increases perceived safety in terror-exposed individuals and has no clear effect on perceived threat. Our findings may help close knowledge gaps in counterterrorism effectiveness research and aid decision-makers when discussing post-terrorism strategies and interventions.

Correctivos disciplinarios en las corporaciones de seguridad pública en México

Disciplinary procedures comprised within the internal regulations of public security corporations in Mexico have long been used as ways of workplace terrorism by overseers who lack both the required preparation for their posts as well as the leadership to achieve goals that could be attained by other means, but their lack of empathy, obsession for shortterm goals and inexperience on the subject of crime prevention, combined with the inadequate training of new recruits, derive in the breeding of the submissive personnel that said overseers require to maintain their repressive working environment; that is to say, they groom their new employees to match their way of managing, creating robots that only obey and are unable to expose their bosses' incompetence.&#x0D; This situation has paved the way for a disregard, in both the executive and the legislative branches, to rectify the mistakes made when it comes to the labor rights of those within public security corporations. The premise has always been to appoint the next “Security Guru”, and to follow blindly whichever road he chooses. Politicians in office have never been concerned with learning the least about public security strategies: they simply put their trust in whoever they appoint and defend their stance, as long as it doesn't backfire.&#x0D;

Is perceived safety and threat after workplace terrorism linked to employee sick-leave? A registry-based longitudinal study of governmental employees in Norway

ABSTRACT Background A large body of research has shown that terrorism enhances fears and undermines perceived safety in a high proportion of both directly exposed individuals and individuals without any form of direct exposure (i.e. no geographical proximity to an attack). Some studies have further suggested that fear of terrorism may adversely affect health in those without direct exposure and that this may constitute an important public health burden because of the number who are indirectly exposed. Limited studies have investigated threat and safety perception after workplace terrorism and the possible consequences for employee health. Objective To explore whether perceived safety and threat in employees whose workplace was subjected to a terrorist attack are associated with subsequent sick-leave. Method A longitudinal questionnaire survey on governmental employees’ perceived safety and threat at work one (T1) and two (T2) years after the 2011 terrorist attack on the Norwegian ministries was linked to registry data on doctor-certified sick-leave for two 9-month periods following T1 and T2 (N = 1703). Results There was fairly strong evidence (0.004 < p < 0.034) that higher perceived safety was associated with a close to 30% reduction in sick-leave in fully adjusted models which included terror exposure and symptom-based PTSD. There was inconclusive evidence that lower perceived threat was associated with reduced sick-leave in the full models. Conclusions Reduced perceived safety in employees following workplace terrorism may have adverse health consequences of public health significance given how prevalent this perception seems to be. The study supports that post-terrorism response plans should include strategies on how to address the potentially large number of individuals suffering ill health after terror even if they were not directly exposed and do not meet criteria for PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress reactions and doctor-certified sick leave after a workplace terrorist attack: Norwegian cohort study

ObjectiveTo explore the association between the psychosocial work environment and the risk of sick leave among governmental employees with symptom-defined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a workplace bomb attack.DesignA prospective...

Employee safety perception following workplace terrorism: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Terrorism at the workplace represents an extreme form of workplace violence potentially affecting large numbers of individuals. Evidence suggests that workplace violence adversely affects employees’ health and work functioning by increasing perceived threat and decreasing perceived safety. The objective of this study was to explore longitudinal associations between perceived safety at work among employees exposed to a workplace terrorist attack and their views on security measures and emergency preparedness. The study comprised a three-wave follow-up of earlier cross-sectional studies on perceived safety at work in ministerial employees exposed to a terrorist attack in Oslo, Norway, in 2011 (N = 3065). Linear mixed-effects modelling was used to explore how perceived safety at work was associated with employees’ perceptions on the prioritization of security measures at work, their knowledge of evacuation procedures, and the extent of escape and evacuation training. The more employees believed security measures were sufficiently prioritized at work and the better their knowledge of evacuation procedures, the higher they rated perceived safety at work. These findings applied both across employees (between-subject effects) and within employees across time (within-subject effects). Employees’ views on the extent of escape and evacuation training were not strongly associated with perceived safety at work. Secondary analysis showed that post-traumatic stress reactions were negatively associated with perceived safety at work, and that the positive association between knowledge of evacuation procedures and perceived safety at work was weaker in women and more educated employees. In conclusion, following terrorism at the workplace, employees’ perceived safety at work might be increased if employers prioritize security measures and provide good information on evacuation procedures. For employees with high levels of post-traumatic stress reactions, adequate treatment of these reactions will be likely to lead to enhanced perceived safety at work.

Making connections: exploring the centrality of posttraumatic stress symptoms and covariates after a terrorist attack

ABSTRACTBackground: Posttraumatic stress symptoms are interconnected. Knowledge about which symptoms of posttraumatic stress are more strongly interconnected or central than others may have implications for the targeting of clinical interventions. Exploring whether symptoms of posttraumatic stress may be differentially related to covariates can contribute to our knowledge on how posttraumatic stress symptoms arise and are maintained.Objective: This study aimed to identify the most central symptoms of posttraumatic stress and their interconnections, and to explore how covariates such as exposure, sex, neuroticism, and social support are related to the network of symptoms of posttraumatic stress.Method: This study used survey data from ministerial employees collected approximately 10 months after the 2011 Oslo bombing that targeted the governmental quarters (n = 190). We conducted network analyses using Gaussian graphical models and the lasso regularization.Results: The network analysis revealed reliably strong connections between intrusive thoughts and nightmares, feeling easily startled and overly alert, and between feeling detached and emotionally numb. The most central symptom in the symptom network was feeling emotionally numb. The covariates were generally not found to have high centrality in the symptom network. An exception was that being female was connected to a high physiological reactivity to reminders of the trauma.Conclusions: Ten months after a workplace terror attack emotional numbness appears to be of high centrality in the symptom network of posttraumatic stress. Fear circuitry and dysphoric symptoms may constitute two functional entities in chronic posttraumatic stress. Clinical interventions targeting numbness may be beneficial in the treatment of posttraumatic stress, at least after workplace terrorism.

Prevalence and Course of Symptom-Defined PTSD in Individuals Directly or Indirectly Exposed to Terror: A Longitudinal Study

Objective: It is well established that direct exposure to terrorism can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, individuals indirectly exposed to terrorism may also develop symptoms of PTSD. This study examined the prevalence and course of symptom-defined PTSD in employees who were present and not present at the site of a workplace terror attack. Methods: Survey data from ministerial employees were collected 10, 22, and 34 months after the 2011 bombing in the government district of Oslo. A total of 3,520 employees were initially invited to the study. Response rates of eligible participants were 56% (N = 1,974) at T1, 55% (N = 1,780) at T2, and 54% (N = 1,578) at T3. PTSD was measured using the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist—Specific (PCL-S). Symptom-defined PTSD was specified as meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), B, C, and D criteria. Results: Our findings showed a low and declining prevalence of symptom-defined PTSD in employees indirectly exposed to a workplace terror attack (4%, 3%, and 2% at the three respective times). In employees present at the site of the explosion, PTSD was six- to eightfold more prevalent (24%, 17%, and 17%). Conclusions: Individuals indirectly exposed to terrorism may develop long-lasting posttraumatic stress reactions fulfilling PTSD symptom criteria. Due to the large number of individuals that may be indirectly exposed to terrorism, even a low risk of PTSD may result in high numbers of individuals with substantial posttraumatic stress. Our findings have implications for the planning and implementation of health care services beyond those directly exposed after large-scale terror events.

Effort-Reward Imbalance and Post-Traumatic Stress After a Workplace Terror Attack.

Following adverse work conditions, health consequences can be explained by an imbalance between the effort made and the reward received. We investigated the association between extra effort, perceived reward, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model was used to examine whether extra effort at work in the aftermath of a workplace-related terrorist attack affected the risk of PTSD and the effects of reward for extra effort from a leader or colleagues. Cross-sectional data were collected 10 months after a terrorist attack in Norway in 2011. Out of 3520 Ministry employees invited, 1927 agreed to participate. Employees reported any extra effort performed as a result of the bomb explosion and any reward received from a leader or colleagues. PTSD was assessed with the PTSD Checklist. Employees who reported extra effort displayed increased risk for PTSD (odds ratio [OR]=1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.55, P=0.008). Perceived reward for extra effort from a leader was associated with lower risk for PTSD (OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.64, P<0.001) but not perceived reward from colleagues. Extra effort may increase the risk of PTSD, but reward from a leader may mitigate this effect. The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model appears to be an appropriate approach that may contribute to understanding of the etiology of work-related PTSD.

Time-lagged relationships between leadership behaviors and psychological distress after a workplace terrorist attack.

The impact of leadership practices on employee health may be especially evident after extreme events that have physical, psychological, or material consequences for the members of an organization. In this prospective study, we aimed to examine the association between leadership behavior and psychological distress in employees who had experienced a workplace terror attack. Ten and 22months after the 2011 Oslo bombing attack targeting their workplace, ministerial employees (n=2272) responded to a questionnaire assessing fair, empowering, supportive, and laissez-faire leadership, as well as psychological distress. Cross-sectional and time-lagged associations between the constructs were tested using structural equation modeling. Cross-sectionally, higher levels of supportive leadership were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Longitudinally, negative relationships were found between psychological distress and subsequent ratings of fair and empowering leadership. Supportive leadership was associated with employees' psychological health after trauma, but seems not to have long-term effects on subsequent psychological distress. Rather, psychological distress may lead the employees to perceive their leaders as more negative across time.

Associations between work environment and psychological distress after a workplace terror attack: the importance of role expectations, predictability and leader support.

Experiencing terrorism is associated with high levels of psychological distress among survivors. The aim of the present study was to examine whether work environmental factors such as role clarity and predictability, role conflicts, and leader support may protect against elevated levels of psychological distress after a workplace terrorist attack. Data from approximately 1800 ministerial employees were collected ten months after the 2011 Oslo bombing attack which targeted the Norwegian ministries. The results show that after a traumatic event, lower role conflicts, higher role clarity, higher predictability, and higher leader support were independently associated with lower psychological distress. These findings suggest that the workplace environment may be a facilitator of employees’ mental health after stressful events.

Caregivers’ Concerns – Age-Group Issues on Workplace Violence

The issue of workplace violence (WPV) around the world can be characterized as workplace terrorism. The health care industry is the most important industry that manages, promotes and ensures wellness of its people. Therefore, issues concerning its caregivers should not be underemphasized. The whole world is fighting seriously to eliminate terrorism, so reduction and elimination of WPV in the healthcare industry should be a major concern to everyone. This study investigates the age group among long term care facilities’ nurses and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)’s that have experienced WPV most during the performance of their duties. Eighty caregivers from three facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina participated in the study. Caregivers were grouped into four age-group categories. Group one was nurses and CNA's from the age of 18 – 25 years old, group two from 26 - 35, group three from 36 – 45, and group four from 46 and above. Thirty-two of the participants fall into age group four, 19 falls into age group three, 20 into age group two and 9 into age group one. Every participant has a minimum of seven years and maximum of ten years’ work experience in long-term facility. Participants were predominantly Black or African-American and Caucasian. Results revealed that 78% of the nurses and CNAs in group one have experienced WVP, followed by group three 70%, and group four 63%. A statically significant difference was found in the number of nurses and CNAs that falls in age group three and group one (t= 2.014, df = 45; p = 0.019) and (t=2.12; df = 16; p = 0.017) respectively. The findings from this study could help identify the age groups that are predominantly exposed to WPV and how WPV training should be designed differently for the age groups.

The effects of terrorism on work attitudes and behaviors: a literature review and a proposed model

Purpose – The paper examines terrorism in its relationship to the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to review research findings and propose a model of the effects of terrorism on work-related outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was undertaken mainly using academic sources. Findings – Potential or actual terrorist attacks create a significant fear level for the individual, causing negative work attitudes. In turn, negative attitudes lead to undesirable work behaviors. Research limitations/implications – Relatively little research has been conducted to determine how organizations may be affected by terrorism via the reciprocal relationship between employee and organizational well-being. Originality/value – This paper explores important yet still under-researched areas of management and organizational interventions to mitigate the deleterious effects of workplace terrorism.