Workplace Violence and Victimization
Homicide is the third leading cause of fatal occupational injury
for all workers, and the second leading cause of fatal occupational
injury for women. (Iowa Injury Prevention Research
Center (IPRC). February 2002. Workplace
Violence: A Report to the Nation. Iowa City, IA: University
of Iowa.)
There were 639 homicides in the workplace in 2001, down from the
677 homicides that took place at work in 2000. (Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS). November
2002. BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.)
In 2000, there were 18,400 non-fatal assaults and violent acts
in the workplace resulting in an average of five lost workdays
per victimization due to injuries. (Ibid.)
Firearms were used in 505 of the workplace homicides in 2001. (Ibid.)
Robbery is the principle motive in workplace homicides. Of the
3,829 job-related homicides occurring between 1996 and 2000, more
than half took place in the retail industry. (Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
2001. Workplace Violence. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Labor.)
Taxicab drivers, police, private guards, and managers of food
serving establishments are at greatest risk of assaults resulting
in fatal injuries. Risk factors that contribute to their vulnerability
include: contact with the public; exchange of money; delivery of
passengers, goods, and services; having a mobile workplace; working
with unstable or volatile persons; working alone; working late
at night; working in high crime areas; and/or guarding valuable
property. (Ibid.)
Between 1993 and 1999, violent crime in the workplace declined
44 percent. The violent crime rate for whites 13 per 1000 in the
workforce) was 25 percent higher than the rate for blacks (10 per
1000) and 59 percent higher than the rate for other races (8 per
1000). The rate of workplace victimization for whites contrasts
with the overall violent crime rate for which blacks have the highest
rate of victimization. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS) December 2001. Violence in the Workplace, 1993-99.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
One third of victims of workplace violence between 1993 and 1999
reported that they believed that the perpetrator was under the
influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crime. (Ibid.)
About 2/3 of all robberies, aggravated assaults, and simple assaults
in the workplace were committed against males between 1993 and
1999. (Ibid.)
Males victimized at work report the crime to the police about
50 percent of the time, whereas females victimized at work report
about 40 percent of the time. Rape and sexual assault were reported
about 24 percent of the time to the police. (Ibid.)
During 1993-1999, 84 percent of all workplace homicides were committed
by perpetrators that were strangers to the victims. Co-workers
and former co-workers were responsible for 7 percent of the workplace
homicides, and husbands and boyfriends were responsible for three
percent of the workplace homicides. (Ibid.)
The number of workplace homicides committed by a husband was 40
times the number of homicides committed by a wife during the period
1993-1999. (Ibid.)
Studies indicate that 60 to 70 percent of women law enforcement
officers experience sexual/gender harassment but only four to six
percent report it. (Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
2001. Recruiting and Retaining Women: A Self-Assessment Guide
for Law Enforcement. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
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| National Crime Victims' Rights
Week: Fulfill the Promise |
April 6–12, 2003 |
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