NCJ Number
215408
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 543-571
Date Published
July 2006
Length
29 pages
Annotation
A total of 1,152 lawyers in Vancouver and surrounding suburbs in British Columbia, Canada, were surveyed to determine whether they were being threatened by someone; and if so, the nature, quantity, and locations of such threats and/or violence.
Abstract
Of the survey sample, 59.2 percent reported varying numbers and degrees of threats. The threats and injuries reported resulted from the attorneys performing their legal responsibilities. The area of law in which an attorney practiced was related to his/her risk of violence. Family/divorce, prosecution, and criminal defense attorneys were more likely to encounter violence in their practice than attorneys who practiced in other areas of the law; however, attorneys in almost every type of practice reported some type and quantity of threats. The lawyers who had been practicing for 31 years or more reported fewer incidents of violence than younger attorneys. Of the female respondents, 61.4 percent reported they had been subjected to threatening behavior, and they received more threats/violence than male practitioners in three out of the five categories: inappropriate communication, inappropriate approaches, and a combination of threats/violence. Approximately 13.8 percent of male attorneys reported receiving explicit threatening communications, compared to only 6.7 percent of female lawyers. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether or not violence and threats against Canadian lawyers are emerging problems. The survey was conducted online and involved practicing members of the Law Society of British Columbia in 2003. The survey consisted of 10 closed-ended questions with open-ended portions contained in 2 of the questions about categories of legal practice and types of violence. The types of violence and/or threats were as inclusive as possible and attempted to address all degrees of violence and/or threats likely to have been experienced. 10 tables, 1 figure, and 35 references