Concerns about rising incivility have been widely discussed during and after COVID, and many organizations have wondered whether negative behaviors are genuinely increasing or simply more visible. The Security Executive Council has been monitoring these trends for several years.
This Security Barometer quick poll was designed to take our community's pulse on the issue. Specifically, whether practitioners are seeing uncivil or negative behavior increasing, decreasing, or holding steady. It also explores the types of behaviors security leaders are encountering.
Participants who did NOT feel incivility was increasing were offered the opportunity to elaborate. Below is an edited selection of their responses:
- There is a general global breakdown in general discipline, radical and liberal influences combined with distorted human rights issues. All of this is creating an ideal breeding ground for a society leading steadily to more and more incivility.
- I do not feel an increase in incivility. Unfortunately, media continues to aggressively promote negative and divisive narratives. My workplace is secure, and this helps to foster a mostly non-toxic environment.
- Our team is actually seeing a decrease in violent action.
- I feel that the 24/7 information flow of today creates a false feeling that incivility/negative behavior has increased.
- I'd ask what time frame are you comparing against? 2020 serves as a general benchmark and still relevant in many minds and security postures. Elections, Russia, Afghanistan, Israel/Hamas. We are in a general perma-crisis, so I would say the standard deviation for incivility is minimally up/down.
Those participants who felt that incivility was increasing were given the opportunity to provide their opinion about what types of behavior they were noticing. Participants were allowed to select more than one of the answer options:
Some of the "Other" replies in this question included:
- Juvenile delinquency
- Moderate increase year over year since Covid
- Unrealistic expectations of how others should cater to opinions
- Failure to consider others
- Ignorance
Participants who felt incivility was increasing were offered the opportunity to elaborate. Their responses are summarized in the following table:
| Theme | Approx. Frequency of Mention * | Description |
|---|
| Social Media & Online Behavior | 33% | Anonymity, trolling, shock content, and divisive commentary normalize incivility. |
| Political Polarization & Leadership | 28% | Extreme rhetoric, partisan divides, poor modeling by public officials. |
| Lack of Consequences / Accountability | 23% | Weak enforcement, reduced fear of repercussions emboldens behavior. |
| Pandemic Effects & Isolation | 19% | Loss of social connection, psychological strain, remote work environment. |
| Economic Stress & Job Insecurity | 14% | Inflation, unemployment, financial strain heighten anxiety and frustration. |
| Mental Health & Substance Abuse | 14% | Stress, instability, and drug use impact impulse control and social behavior. |
| Cultural Shifts & Decline of Civility | 9% | Erosion of manners, decline in shared norms, entitlement, and moral ambiguity. |
| Media Influence (General) | 9% | Sensationalism, airtime to extremes, fear-mongering across outlets. |
| Geopolitical & Global Tensions | 8% | Conflict, immigration disputes, nationalism, and international divides. |
| Technology Addiction & Dopamine Cycle | 5% | Smartphone and dopamine loop driving attention-seeking and impulsivity. |
* Frequency is based on the number of those participants who were presented with this specific question.
Next Steps
The Security Executive Council has been researching this issue and how it affects corporate security. Here are some selected articles relating to this topic:
Beyond Incivility: The Soaring Business Cost of America’s Deteriorating Civility
Is there a Potential Connection Between Incivility and Executive Targeting?
Given most of the participants felt incivility was increasing, it looks like it will continue to be something security management must address. The Security Executive Council can assist you with strategies for dealing with uncivil/negative behaviors for your security program.
Contact Us to discuss your situation and learn more.
