Dangerous Employee Test Revealed

"Much workplace violence is sparked by stalkers who come to the workplace of their partners and harass or punish them on the job," a new test developer observes.

But he says offices, factories, assembly plants, and other businesses are more at risk of employees already there suddenly snapping and creating horror. "Most importantly, we are at higher risk than ever of terrorism, with the perpetrators hidden within the emloyee pool," Dr. Heyward Ewart warns.

Saying that's it's time we "head them off in a new way," Ewart has created a test for dangerous employees. The 51-item "Employee Violence Screening Test" is uploadable from his website.

He strongly cautions that the instrument is experimental and must be used by knowledgeable professionals only. Other measurement methods should be used in conjunction with it.

In order not to single anybody out, the test should ideally be given to the entire facility, Ewart suggests.

It is his hope that graduate students in human resources and the social sciences will use the instrument as the subject for a thesis.

He encourages his readers to upload the test at his site, http://www.child-to-adult-victim.com.

Dr. Ewart has devoted more than 24 years of his professional life to the protection and treatment of women, children, and the family. During the President Jimmy Carter Administration, he served the White House Conference on Families, and such leadership continues to this day.

He is not only a veteran clinician in the mental-health field but also a distinguished teacher at the university level.

With his new test, all questions are to be read aloud by examiner and answered YES or NO. Ten or more positive responses might indicate a risk severe enough to justify further evaluation by a qualified psychologist immediately. However, the examiner may give certain responses added weight, according to intuition, especially if the examiner is experienced. Questions can be repeated upon request.

Before administration, Ewart suggests putting the subject at ease by explaining that this is a routine test to determine anything special that the management can do to make him/her comfortable. State that this questionnaire may not be necessary in his/her case, but that all employees are given this opportunity, especially when new to the job, and that it is for their benefit, Ewart recommends.

He suggests saying to the examinee that "these are some questions I am going to ask. Some may sound strange, but do not let that bother you. Remember that this questionnaire is given to many people with different backgrounds. Please answer YES or NO, whichever comes to you first. Try not to hesitate. We can begin now. This will not take long."