What Are Harm Acceleration Factors?
Harm accelerates when certain system conditions make it harder to resolve issues early. These factors often appear before people realise the situation is escalating.
“Acceleration is not about how people feel — it is about how the system is moving. Acceleration means the issue is becoming harder to contain.”
Harm acceleration happens when organisational conditions reduce clarity, delay decisions or create pressure. These conditions speed up the harm process — sometimes rapidly — even in situations that seemed manageable initially.
Five Common Harm Acceleration Factors
Information Delays
Key information is missing, slow, incomplete or withheld.
- Responses are postponed or unclear.
- Requests for clarity go unanswered.
- Decisions cannot be made because the next step is not confirmed.
Procedural Inconsistency
The process changes, stalls or loops.
- What was “supposed to happen next” changes repeatedly.
- Different people apply the same rule differently.
- Deadlines or commitments shift without explanation.
Role Conflict or Ambiguity
Unclear authority slows decisions and increases stress.
- Nobody is sure who is responsible for next steps.
- Multiple leaders give conflicting instructions.
- People are asked to act outside their role or capability.
Volume Pressure
Too many issues occur at once, reducing system capacity.
- Teams are overwhelmed and decisions slow down.
- Follow-ups fall through because capacity is reduced.
- Small issues intensify because nobody can stabilise them.
Emotional Load & Psychological Strain
Stress increases, patience decreases, and risk tolerance drops.
- People’s capacity to regulate stress becomes reduced.
- Reactions become quicker, sharper or avoidant.
- Normal problem-solving channels no longer feel safe or accessible.
What this means for you
Acceleration shows you why things are getting harder and helps you predict the direction of harm. The next step is understanding when the issue crosses into a state where capability and safety limits are reached.
Continue to Escalation Thresholds →