Myth: Veterans are Prone to Violence

An angry worker with his finger pointing at you

Veteran Status Alone Does Not Predict Violence

Fact: While some factors related to military experience (combat exposure, certain symptoms of PTSD) put some Veterans at greater risk for violence, the majority of Veterans are not at greater risk of violence than the general population. Veteran status alone does not predispose an individual to violence.

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Predicting Violent Behavior

Predicting who will be violent is a complex task that involves looking at a number of factors, such as innate predisposition, social reinforcement, and environmental circumstances. Even so, professionals only perform modestly better than chance when assessing for violence risk.

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Help Employers Provide Support to Veterans

As an EAP provider, it can be more useful to remind employers to assess for and strengthen protective factors, which include having a job and social supports in place. For example, explore with the employer potential accommodations that may be implemented to help the Veteran transition to the civilian workplace. For job accommodation recommendations, refer to the Job Accommodations Network website.

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