The frenzy of holiday shopping is about to begin, and retailers are ramping up for their Black Friday events. This means those in loss prevention are preparing themselves for what often is viewed as a stress-filled time of year. Whether you are working a uniformed or plain clothes position, proper preparation will help reduce that stress and make the holidays more enjoyable for you and the...

Ever been spat on? Nothing can change the conversation like spitting on someone. It's gross, disgusting, inexcusable, illegal, and perhaps the highest display of disrespect that someone can make towards another human being.  Make no mistake about it, spitting on someone is an assault, just the same as punching or kicking them. And the response to any assault should be consistent and in...

The old saying, “You speak volumes before the first word is spoken,” couldn’t be truer!  As a personal safety expert and defensive tactics trainer with over 30 plus years of training and experience in law enforcement, corrections and the United States Marine Corps, I have often read assault victim reports, in which when asked what happened, the person shrugs, “I don’t know, he just punched me.”

When differences divide us, treating each other with dignity by showing respect establishes a common ground for managing conflict.

Have you ever taken a self-defense class and heard an instructor say something like, “No, grab my other arm?” or “Hey, you grabbed me the wrong way?” So, if you're grabbed by the wrist, the arm, the shirt, or the throat, do you really want to take the time to think about what move you need to escape? Wouldn't it be much better to have a self-defense technique that is easy to learn, recall, and...

Many nurses work with patients who are experiencing various levels of pain, fear, and emotional distress, which can sometimes lead to violence. As a result, nurses are sometimes choked by patients; and not only with their bare hands, but with I.V. tubing, electrical cords, medical device leads, I.D. lanyards, and even bedsheets! This places them, of course, in great danger of asphyxiation,...

Although much of crisis intervention or de-escalation concentrates on the spoken word, the reality is often what we say is not nearly as important as how we say it. When angry or frightened people can’t comprehend what we’re saying with our mouths, they can still listen and respond to what we say with our hands and other body language.