Psychological aspects of bank robberies: Prevention and management strategies

The European banking sector is going through an important phase of reorganization. National banking systems tend to be merged into larger companies to become globally competitive. This process forces more responsibility and pressure on bank employees who increasingly experience a psycho-physical discomfort related to work. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has collected the most frequent health and social problems of the worker in the banking sector: occupational stress, ergonomics problems, conflicting roles, excessive workload and an increasing number of cases of violence. In this analysis of increasing phenomena of violence in the banking sector, robberies are crucial as they represent a "predatory" act that may have consequences on both physical and psychological integrity of the worker. After a robbery, the victim may present several reactions: spontaneous resolution of trauma, acute stress disorder (ADS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The literature found a strong association between PTSD and peri-traumatic risk factors (duration, intensity and nature of the trauma), as well as with the perceived helplessness of the traumatized worker. Based on these data, banks’ stakeholders must implement policies to prevent and protect workers from robberies and subsequent psychological consequences. It would also be important to create best practices for bank personnel on how to deal with robbery and how to deal with the post-traumatic period.