WUSM
Protective Services
| Washington University School of Medicine |
Environmental Health & Safety |
WUSM
Protective Services
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that employees murdered over 100 bosses and co-workers in 1997. Furthermore, NIOSH reports that homicide, due to workplace violence, is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace and the second leading cause of death for men.
According to Northwestern National Life Insurance Company, 2,500 workers per 100,000 have been physically attacked on the job.
 | 44% of workplace attacks were committed by customers or clients |
| 24% by strangers |
| 20% by co-workers |
| 7% by bosses |
| 3% by former employees |
Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace, and the second leading cause of death for men according to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Statistics, 1995.
The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (July 1994), states that those victimized due to assaults occurring in the workplace costs about a half million employees 1,751,100 days of work each year, an average of 3.5 days per crime. This missed work resulted in over $55,000,000 in lost wages annually, not including days covered by sick and annual leave.
More than likely, the workplace killer is a male over the age of 35 with significant tenure on the job. He is generally a socially isolated loner who is chronically disgruntled and has a particular disdain for authority. He externalizes blame and never "owns up" or accepts any responsibility for his own wrong-doings. He views change with fear and suspicion and even paranoia. He has an unwarranted sense of entitlement to upward mobility.
It is important to remember that profiles are generalizations. Workplace violence can be perpetrated by anyone. Never rely on profiles alone. Think for yourself and those around you.
By Larry J. Chavez, B.A., M.P.A.
Critical Incident Associates
A migratory job
history
Prior involvement in
workplace violence
A history of violence
outside the workplace
Chronically
disgruntled, disdain for authority
Does not take
criticism, contempt for boss
Externalizes blame,
never "owns up"
Paranoid, views
change as personal affront
Views violence or
intimidation as legitimate
Holds grudges
Pushes the limits of
normal conduct
A loner or socially
isolated individual with few personal outlets, with no outlet for rage
A history of
unresolved psychological problems or personality disorders
A zealot (political,
religious, racial bigotry, etc.)
A substance abuser,
alcohol or drugs,...prescription or not
A domestic abuser or
victim of abuse who is an employee (violence "spilling over" from home, the
"package deal")
Obsessive
involvement with one's own employment to the exclusion of all else
Obsessive compulsive
behavior, i.e., neatness and order, feeling that one's standards are superior to others
Unwarranted sense of
entitlement
Romantic or sexual
obsessions
Obsession with, and
possession or access to, weapons and/or paramilitary training
Obsession with other
acts of workplace violence, sees them as "justified"
Beware of newly
acquired negative traits!
Sudden withdrawal
from current circle of friends or acquaintances
Inability to
concentrate
Newly acquired
decrease in productivity
Newly acquired poor
personal hygiene
Problems with
attendance or tardiness
Overreaction to
stimuli, poor impulse control
Inappropriate affect
(emotional display inconsistent with situation)
Threats of sabotage
against property of employer, supervisor(s) or co-workers
Actual threats or
intimidation of others
Immediate or delayed
violent reaction to discipline or termination ("revenge" reaction)
Discussion(s) of
stalking or harassing others
Sudden divestment of
valued property or other indicators of impending suicide
Feelings of extreme
desperation, marital discord, financial distress, etc.
CAUTION!
"Please be aware of the fact that an individual can exhibit one or
more warning signs and never resort to violence. It is important to remember that people
have different levels of sensitivity. What is a violence-triggering event to one person
may not be to another. Each case must be examined on an individual basis and, to the
extent possible, viewed from that person's perspective."
-- Larry J. Chavez
Critical Incident Associates: Articles on Workplace Violence
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