Preventing the Next Attack: Implications of Returning to In-Person Activity

As society cautiously re-opens and returns to in-person activity and work, violence and physical threats to businesses are occurring at an unsettling, record-high pace. This is a result of multiple factors, from pent up economic and political frustrations to revised health and safety protocols in the office. However, there’s someone who isn’t passively scrolling through these headlines and reacting with a disjointed plan. Her name is Dr. Jillian Peterson, President and Co-Founder of The Violence Project. Jillian has dedicated her career to surfacing trends from over 180 attacks to reduce violence in society. ​In this episode, Jillian returns to our podcast to discuss her recent research. Given the uptick in tragic events in 2021 — from national events like the U.S. Capitol Riots to private sector threats and insider attacks — she acknowledges patterns in activity and provides advice for what businesses can do moving forward to catch signs earlier and offer help to those who need it — before it’s too late. Jillian is President and Co-Founder of the Violence Project, a nonpartisan research center and think tank dedicated to reducing violence in society. She is also a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Hamline University. Jillian launched her career as a special investigator in New York City, researching the psycho-social life histories of men facing the death penalty. Jillian earned her Doctorate in psychology and social behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She is trained in restorative justice, violence mediation, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and suicide prevention. Pre-order Jillian’s book on Amazon (available September 7).