California Security Officers with Registrations (guard cards)  must receive 40 hours of training as follows:

• 8 hours “Powers to Arrest” prior to an Officer standing post.
• 16 hours of training within 30 days of issuance of issuance of registration (or 30 days of hire), 8 of which must consist of two four-hour courses from the mandatory modules and 8 of which must consist of elective courses.
• 16 hours of training within 6 months of issuance of registration (or 6 months of hire), 8 of which must consist of the remaining two four-hour courses from the mandatory modules, and 8 of which must consist of elective courses.

This course module, titled “Workplace Violence” has been approved by the Bureau of Investigative and Security Services as in compliance with Business and Professions Code Sections 7583.6 and 7583.7 and Title 16, Division 7, Article 9, Section 643 of the California Code of Regulations.

This course corresponds to module III.K of the BSIS Course Outline. This is an elective course under the Course Outline and satisfies the requirement for 4 hours of training under the elective section of the Security Officer Training Laws and Regulations.

III.K Workplace Violence – 4 hours

Learning Goals

• The officer will be provided with an understanding and working knowledge of the warning signs of a potentially violent person.
• The officer will be provided a basic understanding of the various types of violence that occurs in the workplace.
• The officer will be given practical skills to diffuse a potentially violent situation from developing.
• The officer will be provided information on recognizing cultural differences that will assist in diffusing a problematic situation.
• The officer will be provided information on protecting oneself during a potentially violent situation.

Course Outline

A. Detecting Unusual Behavior/Warning Signs

1. All behavior is motivated
2. The more basic the vital interest being threatened, the higher the risk of violence
3. Violence-prone individuals have a condensed threat threshold
   1. Criminal or anti-social individual
   2. Intoxicated individual
   3. Psychotic Individual
   4. Physically and/or emotionally traumatized individual or family member.
4. Common Causes of Acting Out
   1. Frustration
   2. Confinement
   3. Lack of impulse control
   4. Tension (anxiety)
   5. Loss of personal power
   6. Need to maintain self-esteem
   7. Lack of anger management

B. Worker to Worker Violence

1. Domestic situation enters the workplace
2. Lovers’ Triangle
3. Long simmering personal feud
4. Horseplay gone awry
5. Money Debts
6. Alcohol/Drug Involvement

C. Client to Customer

1. Legal dispute
2. Financial Dispute or Bankruptcy
3. Loss of business
4. Loss of reputation
5. Personal involvement

D. Boss to Subordinate

1. HR/Disciplinary Issue
2. Personal Grudge
3. Work stoppage or layoff

E. Anger Management

1. Appropriate Verbal Intervention
2. Emotional/Behavioral Symptoms
3. Physical Interventions

F. Valuing Diversity

1. Cultural Diversity – Gender/Racial Harassment/Discrimination
2. Discrimination Defined
3. Prejudice
4. Stereotyping
5. Respect

G. Personal Security

1. Determine offensive vs. non-offensive actions
2. Self-defense rationale and reasonableness
3. Documentation of incident