The process for responding to a complaint that’s been made and an incident that has happened are slightly different. But the process is more or less the same. Most escalated situations will actually result from incidents that take place, so we will focus on incidents rather than complaints.

If a participant does lodge a complaint with a staff member, their concern should be taken seriously and followed up in the same manner as an incident that staff is present for, however, there should be greater emphasis on investigation. Once a participant has filed a complaint against another participant, let them know the process: next steps, potential outcomes, their rights and responsibilities, as well as potential timelines, and follow up with the person being accused.

In the more likely event that an escalated incident takes place in front of staff, first take immediate steps to remove anyone who might be a danger to themselves or others. This may mean an immediate ban. If you must ban someone, explain to them the process, potential outcomes, and their rights and responsibilities. Have a protocol for the time frame between when a critical incident happens and when you must respond to the person with consequences or other outcomes. Most harm reduction leaders recommend no more than one week.

As was mentioned in Hacks for Policy Violation Prevention, and the article on the philosophy of restorative and transformative justice, it’s always important that you consider your own perspective on the violation from the beginning.

Often, we understandably feel violated when somebody has erred and harmed us or violated the social contract. That reaction is totally normal. At the same time, that feeling often leads us to vilify people without taking into consideration other factors, such as people’s trauma and how that affects their emotional reactivity for example. For this reason, it’s a great idea to take a step back and try and figure out what exactly is going on and what variables may be at play before deciding on consequences.

Once the immediate issue has been dealt with, and you’ve considered all the perspectives involved, including any other variables outside of the control of the participant that might’ve played a role in the incident, it’s time to do an investigation.