A Transformative Approach to Safety

Measuring Aggression to Prevent Harm

At the core of our work - through the Critical Aggression Prevention System (CAPS) and our books Before Conflict, Bridging Political Divides, and Safe Schools, Safe Futures - is a simple but powerful idea:
Aggression can be measured.
At the core of this approach is a simple but critical principle:
If something cannot be measured, it cannot be effectively managed - especially in time to matter.
For decades, aggression has largely been treated as subjective - interpreted after the fact, debated, or addressed only once it becomes visible as a problem.
That is why systems today are reactive.
They respond after:

A complaint is filed
An incident occurs
A formal process begins

At that point, there is already:

A victim
A perpetrator
A cost - human, operational, and financial

These systems are not wrong.
They are simply too late.

The shift from reaction to prevention

CAPS introduces a different approach.

Instead of waiting for incidents, CAPS focuses on the earliest observable changes in behavior - the moment a person begins to shift from assertive to aggressive behavior.

Traditional approaches - including conflict resolution, workplace violence programs, and responses to bullying, abuse, discrimination, and sexual harassment - are designed to act after behavior has escalated.

At that point, they are necessarily reactive and often punitive.

There is already:

A victim
A perpetrator
A significant cost to the employer - both human and financial

These systems play an important role, but they address outcomes, not prevention.

CAPS operates earlier.

This is where:

Judgment is still intact
Outcomes are still influenceable
Intervention is most effective

This is where prevention actually happens.

Why measuring aggression changes everything

When aggression can be measured, it is no longer abstract or dependent on hindsight. With CAPS these measures are scientifically reliable.
It becomes:

Observable through behavior
Measurable in real time
Actionable before escalation occurs

This allows individuals and organizations to:

Identify early-stage precursors
Engage before escalation takes hold
Redirect behavior toward constructive outcomes

The result

When intervention happens early:

People do not become victims
Individuals do not progress into perpetrators
Organizations avoid the financial and operational costs of incidents
Trust, safety, and productivity improve

A different way forward

With CAPS, we no longer have to wait for violence, harassment, or misconduct to occur.
We can identify precursors.
We can engage early.
We can change outcomes.
Prevention is no longer a concept. It becomes a capability.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Prevention

As technology continues to reshape every industry, we believe artificial intelligence will play a central role in advancing proactive safety and behavioral analytics. To deepen our understanding and apply these innovations to the Critical Aggression Prevention System (CAPS), Dr. Byrnes has completed certification through Harvard Business School’s Digital Data Design Institute (D³). These 8 courses explored the strategic, ethical, and operational uses of AI, knowledge that now informs how CAPS integrates cutting-edge technology to identify and prevent aggression with scientific reliability.
AGENTIC AI FUNDAMENTALS

The Critical Aggression Prevention System (CAPS)

The Center for Aggression Management, Inc. developed the Critical Aggression Prevention System (CAPS) to address a gap that exists in virtually every organization today:

The absence of a reliable way to recognize and address aggression before it becomes harm.

CAPS is a scientifically reliable, behavior-based prevention capability that identifies observable precursors to aggression and enables early, effective intervention.

It does not rely on subjective mental health assessments.
It does not violate privacy regulations.
And it does not wait for an incident to occur.

Instead, CAPS allows organizations to engage earlier - when behavior is still influenceable - and redirect outcomes before they become costly events.

The result is a safer, more stable, and more productive environment - without the limitations of reactive, punitive systems.

If you would like to explore whether CAPS makes sense for your organization, I invite you to schedule a conversation.

Let me Introduce you to "The Prevention Paradox!"

Most organizations believe they have prevention in place.

In reality, most systems are designed to respond to problems—not prevent them.

This is the Prevention Paradox.

Programs addressing sexual harassment, bullying, abuse, discrimination, and workplace violence typically activate after behavior has already escalated.

At that point:

There is already a victim
There is already a perpetrator
There is already organizational exposure—human, legal, and financial

These systems are necessary. But they are not preventive.

They are reactive by design.

CAPS resolves this paradox by focusing on early, observable behavioral changes—before escalation takes hold.

Using scientifically reliable indicators of behavior, CAPS enables intervention at the point where:

Judgment is still intact
Behavior can still be redirected
Outcomes can still be changed

This approach is rehabilitative, not punitive, and operates fully within privacy frameworks, including HIPAA, FERPA, and the Civil Rights Act.

Comparing Your Current Programs

See how CAPS work

In a 45-minute executive briefing (with 15 minutes for discussion), you will see:

Why current systems miss the earliest stages of aggression
How CAPS identifies and measures behavioral precursors
What early intervention looks like in practice
How this applies across workplace safety, HR, healthcare, and insider threat

You will leave with a clear understanding of whether this capability fills a gap in your organization.

Schedule a time that works best for you and invite your team.

Comparing Your Current Programs vs. CAPS

Your Current Programs

Rely heavily on subjective assessments and post-incident interpretation
Activate after escalation (complaints, reports, investigations)
Are inherently reactive and often punitive
Address outcomes, not early-stage behavior
Provide limited ability to prevent insider threats (behavioral or cyber)
Depend on reporting systems that are inconsistent and unreliable

Result:
Intervention occurs after harm, when options are limited and costs are high.

Critical Aggression Prevention System (CAPS)

Identifies observable, measurable precursors to aggression
Enables early engagement before escalation
Operates as a scientifically reliable, behavior-based system
Functions without violating privacy regulations (HIPAA, FERPA, Civil Rights Act)
Supports real-time awareness and longitudinal understanding of behavior
Applies across violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination, and insider threats