NCJ Number
193122
Date Published
2002
Length
240 pages
Annotation
This anthology contains 12 chapters that together provide an authoritative foundation from which to develop ways of better explaining, predicting, understanding, preventing, and responding to workplace violence.
Abstract
A chapter on definitions and typologies of violence traces the history of workplace violence to assess what it is, how it is defined, and the links between workplaces and violent incidents. This is followed by a chapter that argues there is an epidemic of occupational violence in certain jobs across countries. A third chapter views the factors in occupational violence from the perspectives of human resource managers. Another chapter theorizes about the causes of violence, adapting the principles of lifestyle theory and routine activities theory to develop a theoretical framework for understanding patterns of abuse and violence in workplaces. Next, a chapter argues that violence at work is not an apparently irrational act, but rather the logical outcome of a sequence of events or behaviors that carry warning signs. A chapter that explores gender differences in the victimization patterns of workplace violence focuses on patterns of gender victimization for various types of workplace violence. A seventh chapter examines the management of workplace violence from a systems perspective, particularly an organization's ability to respond to various types of crises. Remaining chapters address standards for violence-management training; differences between workplace bullying and violence and how to protect employees from both; how Canadian unions are dealing with violence in the workplace; the nature and effectiveness of a program that provides services to medical staff violently victimized by patients; and support services for employees victimized by traumatic events at work. Chapter notes, tables, and figures and a subject index