Workplace violence

Workplace violence (WPV) or occupational violence refers to violence, usually in the form of physical abuse or threat, that creates a risk to the health and safety of an employee or multiple employees.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011, violence and other injuries caused by persons or animals contributed to 17% of all occupational fatalities, with homicides contributing to 10% of the total. From 1992 to 2010, there were 13,827 reported workplace homicide victims, averaging over 700 victims per year, in the United States. Examination of the 2011 data shows that while a majority of workplace fatalities occurred to males, workplace violence disproportionately affects females. Homicides contributed to 21% of all occupational fatalities for women, compared to 9% for men. Of these homicides, relatives or domestic partners contributed to 39% of female homicide cases; male homicide cases were most likely to be perpetrated by robbers, contributing to 36% of male homicide cases.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") a department of the United States Department of Labor defines workplace violence as "ay act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide." Source: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/

OSHA furthermore conservatively estimates that approximately 2,000,000 workers per year are victimised by workplace violence with the caveat that "many more" cases go unreported. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/

Most cases of workplace violence turn out to be non-fatal incidents. From 1993 to 1999, an average of about 1.7 million people were victimized each year in cases of occupational violence. About 75% of these cases are considered simple assault, while 19% of cases are considered aggravated assault.

Dr. Arnold H. Buss, of the University of Texas at Austin (1961), identified eight types of workplace aggression:

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