How To Deal With A Person Who Screams

While the deaf need our support, there are occasions on which they certainly do not need our pity. One such occasion is when they are faced with a screaming person. Wouldn’t it just be heavenly to turn a deaf ear to the screams of these people and not be affected by them at all? Unfortunately, this is often times not possible. The person who might be shrieking at you like a banshee might know that he is completely wrong, but might just continue to push his point across to get the upper hand. There are still others who believe that the person with the loudest voice wins the battle and so try to see how far they can stretch their vocal chords without snapping them. In the case of children, they might throw tantrums and scream in order to get what they want. Read on for some time-tested, mature ways that you can use to deal with screamers of all sorts.

How To Handle A Screamer

There are many parents who believe that their screaming children will outgrow this habit as time passes. This, however, is not the correct way to handle this situation. When a child screams, it is usually in order for the child to get what he/ she wants. Lack of proper and timely discipline will encourage the child to repeat this behavior and will teach the child that he/ she can get away with screaming. You will find that this trait will follow the child into later life as well.
When you are dealing with difficult people who are screamers, it is good to establish ground rules. Inform the screamer that the ground rule is to behave like a civilized adult, and that any problem should be spoken of in a normal tone of voice. If the person continues to scream, remind him/ her of this basic rule and leave the room until the screaming stops.
When you lay down ground rules and when you decide that you will not tolerate screaming, ensure that you are consistent. If you allow the screamer to have his/ her own way even once, you will find it very difficult to reinforce the rules that were set earlier. Be sure that you follow up on any course of action that was decided when the ground rules were discussed. If you don’t, the screamer will view these rules as empty threats and will continue the same course of behavior.
If the screamer is your colleague, it would be advisable to document incidents of screaming and get this document signed off by other colleagues who have also witnessed the same behavior. Write a report of these incidents and include details such as triggers and reactions. Document what actions were taken by you and what you expect as an employee of the organization. A copy of this report could be presented to your superior as well as to the screaming colleague.
In extreme cases of screaming, you might need to protect yourself from physical harm. If you are in a company which chooses to ignore screamers, ensure that you are protected and that you report this behavior to someone higher. If there are threats to your safety, you can call the police if management refuses to take action.

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