WORK PLACE VIOLENCE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EST
SUNDAY JULY 24, 1994
BJS 202-307-0784
WORK PLACE VIOLENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- One in six violent crimes occurs in the
work place, according to a Department of Justice study released
here today.
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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94-87
After hours contact: Stu Smith 301-983-9354
Date Published: July 24, 1994