RECOGNIZE that a colleague may be involved in an abusive relationship.
A VICTIM may exhibit the following signs:
• Obvious injuries such as bruises, black eyes, broken bones and hearing loss, often attributed to “falls,” “being clumsy,” or “accidents.”
• Clothing that is inappropriate for the season, such as long sleeves and turtlenecks, as well as wearing sunglasses and heavy makeup.
• Uncharacteristic absenteeism or lateness for work.
• Change in job performance, including poor concentration, errors, slowness, and inconsistent work quality.
• Uncharacteristic signs of anxiety and fear.
• Requests for special accommodations, such as leaving early.
• Isolation, unusual quietness, or keeping away from others.
• Emotional distress, tearfulness, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
• Minimization and denial of harassment or injuries.
• An unusual number of phone calls, faxes or emails from a current or former partner, strong reactions to those calls, and reluctance to converse or respond to phone messages.
• Insensitive or insulting messages taken by others.
• Sensitivity about home life or hints of trouble at home. Comments may include references to bad moods, anger, tempers, and alcohol or drug abuse.
• Disruptive personal visits to the workplace by present or former partner.
• Irrational or unfounded fear about losing his/her job.
• The appearance of gifts and flowers after what appears to be an argument between the couple, which may include physical violence.
An ABUSER may exhibit the following behavior:
• Be abusive or bully others at work.
• Blame others for problems, especially the victim.
• Deny problems.
• Show “defensive injuries” such as scratch marks.
• May or may not demonstrate violence at work.
• Is knowledgeable about the legal and social service systems and uses it to his/her advantage so it appears that he/she is the victim.
• Is absent or late related to his/her actions toward the victim or for court or jail time.
• Call victim repeatedly during work.
An abuser may be “invisible” due to exemplary job performance.
