NCJ Number
155978
Journal
Gazette Volume: 57 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1995) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes a robbery trauma program that includes a video to help employees who have experienced business robberies to mitigate the effects of trauma as well as a workshop to help police officers improve their skills in helping to reduce victim trauma.
Abstract
One of the aftermaths of the robbery of a business that involves offenders' confrontations with employees is the losses that businesses suffer due to employee trauma. Losses include a reduction in productivity caused by employees calling in sick or making mistakes. There is an even greater loss when employees quit because they cannot deal with the psychological after- effects of a robbery. The Robbery Trauma Program described in this article is a three-step project that includes a video and other materials to demonstrate what can be done to relieve trauma before, during, and after a robbery. The program shows that emotions such as anger, depression, and self-doubt are commonly experienced by crime victims. It helps identify physical symptoms and encourages employees to meet in groups and discuss their feelings after a robbery. In a workshop, the police are assisted in dealing with their own victimization from a routine shift level. Police are taught to be their own peer support group and use these skills in their own personal lives. This results in decreased cynicism, increased job satisfaction, and the chance to be involved in training. The workshop also addresses many facets of victimization and the methods in which victims can be diffused, using the video. Workshops are designed to train staff proactively in all aspects of robbery.