Workplace violence, a growing concern for employers and employees nationwide, is violence or the threat of violence against workers. It includes acts of violence within or outside of the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide; it is one of the leading causes of job-related deaths. Although workplace violence can happen to anyone, employees in certain occupations are particularly vulnerable. These jobs include home delivery, working alone late at night or early in the morning in convenience stores or other such venues, driving a taxi, utility work, and law enforcement.
Recent Statistics on Workplace Violence:
- In 2010, 506 workplace homicides occurred in the United States,
which is a decrease from 2009.1
- 79.25 percent (401) of 2010 workplace homicides were shootings.2
- Assaults and attacks-including homicide-make up 18 percent of all
fatal occupational injuries and are the second-leading cause of such
injuries.3
- Workplace homicides declined 7 percent in 2010 to the lowest ever
recorded total by the fatality census. However, workplace homicides
involving women increased 13 percent.4
- In 2008, 14.8 percent of violent crimes and 14.7 percent of property
crimes were committed against victims who were at work or on duty at the
time, amounting to 678,026 violent crimes and 2,398,919 property
victimizations.5
- Of the 678,026 violent crimes committed against victims who were
working or on duty in 2008, 553,201 were simple assaults, 99,171were
aggravated assaults, 11,595 were robberies, and 12,633 were rapes or
sexual assaults.6
- From 2002 to 2009, the rate of nonfatal workplace violence declined
35 percent, following a 62 percent decline in the rate from 1993 to
2002.7
- The average annual rate of workplace violence between 2005 and 2009
(5 violent crimes per 1,000 employed persons age 16 or older) was about
one-third the rate of non-workplace violence (16 violent crimes per
1,000 employed persons age 16 or older) and violence against persons not
employed (17 violent crimes per 1,000 persons age 16 or older).8
- Strangers committed the greatest proportion of nonfatal workplace
violence against males (53 percent) and females (41 percent) between
2005 and 2009.9
- Among workplace homicides that occurred between 2005 and 2009, about
28 percent involved victims in sales and related occupations and about
17 percent involved victims in protective service occupations.10
- About 70 percent of workplace homicides were committed by robbers
and other assailants while about 21 percent were committed by work
associates between 2005 and 2009.11
- More than half (54.5 percent) of surveyed emergency nurses reported
having experienced physical violence and/or verbal abuse from a patient
and/or visitor during a 7-calendar- day period, in which the nurses
worked an average of 36.9 hours.12
- 11.2 percent of surveyed emergency nurses reported both physical and
verbal abuse over a 7-day period, while 42.5 reported verbal abuse alone
in the past 7 days.13
- Of surveyed emergency room nurses who reported having been victims
of physical violence in the workplace, 62.2 percent experienced more
than one incident of physical violence from a patient or visitor during
a 7-day period.14