Behavioral improvement depends on whether intervention is in the moment or after the fact.

Successful de-escalation depends on whether the perpetrator cares about proper behavior.

Power dynamics impact how aggressors respond to intervention.

Unfortunately, workplace violence has become a household term in recent years, as laws evolve to keep pace with publicized incidents of violence and mass shootings. Yet within individual workplace settings, when tempers run hot, there are effective methods of cooling things down, especially when initiated by respectful peers and colleagues. Research explains.

The Buffer of Bystanders

Many people admit that when they are upset, the best candidates to calm them down are trusted family and friends. But because someone who becomes irate in the workplace is unlikely to have immediate access to their intimate circle of influence, trusted colleagues and peers may be the next best option, depending on who they are.

Ivana Vranjes et al. (2025) examined the impact of bystander intervention on interpersonal workplace aggression.[i]They recognized that the effectiveness of such intervention depends on the aggressor’s response, which will likely reflect his or her relationship with the bystander.

Vranjes et al. proposed that organizations should train bystanders to consider several........

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