Handling Aggressive Behaviour: A Guide For Security Professionals

Ask any security industry worker, and they will tell you that dealing with threatening behaviour is a part of the job; in fact, verbal and violent conduct towards security staff is reported to occur regularly in night-time economies.

While dealing with aggressive behaviour is part of the job of a door supervisor or security guard, it is important to know different approaches to handle aggressive behaviour to protect yourself and the public effectively.

Stages of Aggression

To effectively handle aggressive behaviour, it’s important first to understand the different stages of it.

Provocation

Provocation, action or speech that makes someone angry can be caused by either security staff or the aggressor. Be mindful of how you interact with customers; being unsympathetic, rude or threatening towards a customer could cause them to react aggressively. Remember, as security staff, it is your job to diffuse potentially violent confrontations, not create them, even if you are having a bad day or the customer you are dealing with has rubbed you the wrong way.

Escalation

Maybe someone has forgotten their ID or had too much to drink, so you’ve told them to come back another night. Maybe that person has pleaded with you for a while and finally realises no means no. When a person realises your decision is final, they might transition from an argumentative attitude to physical aggression in an effort to enforce their point or simply because they are angry.

Confrontation

The confrontation itself is when one expresses his or her feelings of anger towards the other party. This can be either verbally or physically. During this stage, door supervisors and security guards need to use appropriate skills to diffuse the situation.

When It’s Verbal

While appreciating that the situation of every confrontation will be different and the way you handle one individual’s aggressive behaviour may be different from the next, all door supervisors and security guards should take a communicative approach when dealing with any altercation and physical approach only as a last resort. Security industry operatives can use the pneumonic REACT as a guide as to how to communicate during an altercation (3).

• First, make a request. Ask them to leave if someone doesn’t provide a valid ID to enter the premises.
• Second, provide an explanation. Be on your feet with answers to common questions customers might ask. If someone asks why they can’t enter the premises without a valid ID, explain it is a company policy to prevent the sale of alcohol and protect minors.
• Should the customer still protest, appeal to them and explain what actions you will take if they refuse to listen.
• Before using force, confirm once more the customer understands what you are asking of him or her and that they are still refusing to comply.
• When all methods of persuasion have failed, it is then you take action. If someone is aggravating you because you won’t let them enter the premises, you might call the police.

When Things Are About to Get Physical

Door supervisors should never get physical out of frustration or anger, but instead, only use that which is reasonable and necessary to avert an attack. It’s important to know what signs an aggressor might show before things get ugly, so you can be prepared to defend yourself and keep others out of harm’s way. Body language can tell you a lot about what someone is feeling and what they are about to do. Extended eye contact, threatening facial expressions, raised voice, change in body stance, head tilted slightly back, enlarged movements of hands and arms or fidgeting are all signs of physical violence.

Make space between you and the aggressor and make sure other members of the public stand back. Say something like, “don’t come any closer.”  Using a loud and assertive tone will let the aggressor know you aren’t afraid to defend yourself.

Knowing how to communicate during conflict effectively can keep it from spiralling out of control. It will keep you safe, show your level of professionalism and promote community confidence in door supervisors and other security staff.

How to work in the security sector

If you are interested in working in the security sector, whether it be as a Door Supervisor, Security Guard or CCTV Operative, you will need to obtain an SIA Licence.

To obtain an SIA Licence, you will need to complete a course. Once you have completed the course, will you then be able to apply for an SIA Licence and work in the security sector.

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