NCJ Number
178690
Date Published
1993
Length
118 pages
Annotation
This book addresses the prevalence, causes, and prevention of workplace violence, as well as associated legal issues.
Abstract
The introduction notes that the phenomenon of violence in the workplace has emerged only since the mid-1980s, but its increase now threatens the safety of the workplace. A chapter on the scope of the crisis reports that the Centers for Disease Control declared workplace homicide to be a serious public health problem in 1992. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the United States is now experiencing 750 workplace homicides a year. Another chapter focuses on career dissonance as a major factor in employee violence. Because the lives of many people, especially men, are grounded in their jobs, the possibility of losing this anchor in an economy in which jobs are scarce creates unbearable stress that may manifest itself in violent behavior. A chapter profiles the typical perpetrator of workplace homicide as a male, 35 years of age or older, who has a history of violence toward women, children, or animals; owns a weapon; and bases his self-esteem on his job. Another chapter focuses on women as being at special risk of becoming victims of violence in the workplace; a following chapter discusses the influence of downsizing, layoffs, and employee frustration on workplace violence. Two chapters suggest strategies for preventing violent victimizations in the workplace, including avenues for reporting concerns about employee behavior, assessments of workplace stresses and how to relieve them, and the training of supervisors in how to identify and respond to persons prone to violent behavior. Remaining chapters discuss threat and incident management as well as legal issues that must be addressed in the design of prevention strategies. 24 tables