WORK PLACE VIOLENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- One in six violent crimes occurs in the work place,
according to a Department of Justice study released.
The Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) said an estimated 7
percent of all rapes, 8 percent of all robberies and 16 percent of all assaults
occur at work. The data are from an analysis of work place crime from 1987
through 1992 gathered through the National Criminal Victimization Survey
of U.S. households.
"The work place is the scene of almost 1 million violent crimes every
year," said Acting BJS Director Lawrence A. Greenfeld. "About
10 percent--or 100,000--of these violent workplace crimes involve offenders
armed with handguns."
Of the approximately 3.2 million violent crimes and thefts in the work place,
about 500,000 victims lose an estimated 1.8 million workdays each year and
$55 million in lost wages, not including days covered by sick and annual
leave, the study said.
Among the women who experience crime at work, 40 percent are attacked by
a stranger, 35 percent by a casual acquaintance, 19 percent by a well known
acquaintance and 1 percent by a relative. About 5 percent are attacked by
a husband, former husband, boyfriend or former boyfriend.
The average annual number of workplace victimizations from 1987 through
1992 follow:
No. of Victimizations No. with Injuries
Rape . . . . 13,068-----------------3,438 Robbery . . . 79,109--------------17,904
Agg. assault . 264,174 -----------48,180 Simple assault 615,160-----------89,572
Federal, state and local government workers, who make up about 18 percent
of the total U.S. workforce, account for 30 percent of all workplace victims.
"Several factors may be responsible for this overrepresentation, including
a potentially high risk of victimization for particular government occupations
such as public safety personnel" the report noted.
In addition to the violent crimes, there was an annual average of more than
2 million personal thefts in the work place during the period as well as
more than 200,000 motor vehicle thefts.
More than half of all work place victimizations were not reported to police--among
those not reporting, 40 percent said they believed the matter was minor
or too personal, and 27 percent said they reported the incident to another
official, such as a company security guard.
Single copies of the BJS crime data brief, "Violence and Theft in the
Workplace" (NCJ-148199), as well as other BJS statistical reports may
be obtained from the BJS Clearinghouse, Box 179, Annapolis Junction, Maryland
20701-0179. The telephone number is 1-800-732-3277. Fax orders to 410-792-4358.
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