Violence in the Workplace Is Not a Serious Problem (From Violence: Opposing Viewpoints, P 37-44, 1996, David Bender, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159343)

• NCJ Number: 159347
• Author(s): E Larson
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

The author challenges the common perception that violence in the workplace is a growing crisis; he scrutinizes studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and others and concludes that workplace murder is rare, especially for many white collar professions.

Abstract

The author believes only a few workplace murders are committed by disgruntled employees or ex-employees; rather, about 75 percent are committed during robberies. A Federal census of workplace homicides, released in August 1994, found that 59 employees were killed by coworkers or former coworkers in 1993, or 1 in 2.1 million people. In comparison, the National Weather Service puts the odds of getting struck by lightning at 1 in 600,000. Therefore, the author concludes that workplace violence is a false crisis and that workplace murder is a rare event. He cites study and survey data to support his contention and indicates that violence statistics are not put in perspective by the media and by employers themselves. 1 figure