Preventing Violence in the Workplace

Workplace Violence Characteristics

Forum participants discussed the characteristics of workplace violence. They agreed that targets of violence can include the self, co-workers, and property. One form of violence-suicide-is particularly prevalent in certain occupations (e.g., medical, law enforcement) in which high stress is associated with accessibility to the means for achieving death.

Violence can be initiated by an employee who reacts to an immediate situation or to a consistent pattern of harassment Robbery attempts (e.g., holdup of a convenience store or cab driver) often include episodes of violence. Intruder-initiated violence occurs when a non-employee initiates violence in a workplace and typically involves a problematic relationship between the intruder and an employee. This would include domestic violence incidents such as an individual pursuing his or her partner to the worksite and attacking or threatening him or her.

Participants represented the range of violent behavior from least to most severe using the following examples:

Argumentative behavior; in which.threats are perceived or implied but are not overt;
Threats of future injury to others;
Menacing with a fist or brandishing a weapon;
Low-level assault, such as pushing;
Overt physical violence, striking at another with a fist or weapon;
Attempted murder; and
Murder or suicide.

CMHS94 5002
1994

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