Violence, threats of violence and generally intimidating behavior is a serious problem for public employees. According to Statistics Denmark, violence against public employees has increased by 53% between 2009 and 2015. According to Working Environment and Health in Denmark 2018, 37.3% of special educators, 34.8% of police and prison officers and 30.7% of social and healthcare assistants have been exposed to violence. Even more have been exposed to threats of violence, including 46.1% of special education teachers. The consequences of violence and threats of violence can be measured financially, psychologically and organizationally. While some professionals need to be able to actively use force, other professionals use force or defend themselves against violent and threatening citizens more as an evil than a professional tool. But decision-makers are increasingly having to consider the safety of staff, and one of the considerations is whether self-defense should be included as an element of professional skills development.