Avoidance

There are many other signs that could alert us to the fact that someone is getting angry. Before we decide to get involved or deal with a situation, however, we need to assess the possible risks. In helping us determine whether or not we should avoid the situation Breakwell (1997) advises us to consider the following:

• Is the person I am dealing with facing high levels of stress?
• Is the person likely to be drunk or on drugs?
• Does the person have a history of violence?
• Does the person have a history of criminal convictions?
• Does the person have a history of psychiatric illness?
• Does the person suffer from a medical condition which may result in a loss of self-control?
• Has the person verbally abused me in the past?
• Has the person threatened me with violence in the past?
• Has the person attacked me in the past?
• Does the person perceive me as a threat to his/her children?
• Does the person think of me as a threat to his/her liberty?
• Does the person have unrealistic expectations of what I can do for him/her?
• Does the person perceive me as wilfully unhelpful?
• Have I felt anxious for my safety with this person before?
• Are other people present who will reward the person for violence?

These are seen as some possible predictors of the risk of violence in a situation and the more often you answer ‘yes’, the higher the risk.