New York — Workers in older generations are more likely than their younger colleagues to feel confident in their ability to de-escalate potentially violent situations, results of a recent survey show.
Online compliance training provider Traliant commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 workers in industries including hospitality, health care and retail. Participants belonged to organizations with at least 100 employees.
Findings show that 58% of baby boomers and 54% of the workers in Generation X reported higher confidence in their de-escalation abilities. That compares with 47% of millennials and 41% of Gen Zers.
Overall, 75% of the respondents said they’ve received workplace violence prevention training, up from 70% the previous year. Traliant says de-escalation training covers:
- The purpose and importance of de-escalation in workplace environments
- Techniques to stabilize tense situations
- Recognizing the signs of an escalated individual
- Setting clear verbal and physical boundaries
- Problem-solving strategies and redirecting focus
- Steps to take when de-escalation efforts aren’t successful
Additionally, 46% of hospitality workers surveyed said they’ve witnessed workplace violence, compared with 30% of all the respondents. Fifteen percent of the respondents indicated they’d been the target of workplace violence, up from 12% in 2024.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 740 workplace fatalities related to violent acts were recorded in 2023. Homicides comprised 61.9% of those acts and 8.7% of all work-related fatalities.
“The survey findings should serve as a wake-up call for organizations nationwide,” Bailey Whitsitt, compliance counsel at Traliant, said in a press release. “Safety can’t be a check-the-box initiative – it must be a cultural priority.”
