Violence and Theft in the Workplace U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief Violence and Theft in the Workplace NCJ-148199 July 1994 ------------------------------------------------------- This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to the http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#vw This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/vw99.htm -------------------------------------------------------- Violence and Theft in the Workplace By Ronet Bachman, Ph.D. BJS Statistician Each year nearly 1 million individuals become victims of violent crime while working or on duty. These victimizations account for 15% of the over 6. million acts of violence experienced by U.S. residents age 12 or older. In addition, over 2 million personal thefts and over 200,000 car thefts occur annually while persons are at work. This report analyzes data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for 1987-92 to describe these crimes. Crime victimizations occurring in the workplace cost about half a 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 million in lost wages annually, not including days covered by sick and annual leave. Annually, 1987-92-- *Nearly 1 million violent victimizations ocurred while victims were working on duty *These victimizations resulted in almost 160,000 injuries Average annual number of Type of crime Victimizations Injuries Crimes of violence 971,517 159,094 Rape* 13,068 3,438 Robbery 79,109 17,904 Aggravated assault 264,174 48,180 Simple assault 615,160 89,572 *Injuries are those in addition to the rape. *Among people victimized while working, men were more likely than women to experience a violent crime. However, women were just as likely as men to become the victims of theft while working *Victims who were working were as likely to face armed offenders as those victimized while not working. Over 30% of victims who were working during a violent victimization faced armed offenders. Almost a third of these offenders had a handgun. Victims of violence at work were less likely to be injured than victims of violence that occurred away from work. Sixteen percent of violent victimizations which occurred while the victim was working resulted in physical injuries; 10% of these injuries required medical care. *Among only those persons injured by a crime victimization at work, an estimated 876,800 workdays were lost annually, costing employees over $16 million in wages, not including days covered by sick and annual leave. *6 out of 10 incidents of workplace violence occurred in private companies. While government employees make up approximately 18% of the total U.S. workforce, 30% of the victims of violence in this sample were Federal, State, or local government employees. Several factors may be responsible for this overrepresentation, including a potentially high risk of victimization for particular government occupations, such as public safety personnel. *Although men who were victimized while working were more likely to be attacked by a stranger, women were more likely to be attacked by someone known to them. Five percent of the women victimized at work were attacked by a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. Percent of victimizations ________________ Victim-offender relationship Female Male ______________________________________________ Stranger 40% 58% Casual acquaintance 35 30 Well known 19 10 Relative 1 1 Intimate 5 1 *Over half of all victimizations sustained at work were not reported to police. When individuals were asked why they did not report, 40% said they believed the incident to be a minor or a private matter. An additional 27% did not report to police because they reported the victimization to another official, such as a company security guard. Victims of violence at work were less likely to be injured than persons victimized while not working, 1987-92 Percent of violent victimizations, by activity of victim __________________________ Not Characteristic Working working ____________________________________________________________ Offender was armed No 62% 56% Yes 32 35 Not ascertained 6 9 Sustained injuries No 84% 69% Yes 16 31 Required medical care 10 16 Lost worktime because of injuries 6 5 Incident reported to police No 56% 52% Yes 43 47 Not ascertained 1 1 According to victims of violent crime at work who identified more precisely the location, over a third of the crimes occurred in commercial establishments, 1987-92 Percent of victimization occuring at work where victim identified Place where victimization occurred location ____________________________________________________________ Total 100% Type of work setting Private company 61% Government employee (Federal, State, or local) 30 Self-employed 8 Working without pay 1 Location where victimization occurred Restaurant, bar, or nightclub 13% Office, factory, or warehouse 14 Other commercial establishment 23 On school property 9 Parking lot/garage 11 On public property (such as streets and parks) 22 Other 8 The National Crime Victimization Survey conducts interviews with over 100,000 individuals age 12 or older annually. Respondents who reported a violent victimization and said they were either working or on duty when asked, "What were you doing when the incident happened?" represent the sample for this report. This group does not include those victims who said they were on their way to or from work. For more information about the NCVS methodology, see Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992, NCJ-145125, March 1994. *Although men who were victimized while working were more likely to be attacked by a stranger, women were more likely to be attacked by someone known to them. Five percent of the women victimized at work were attacked by a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. *Over half of all victimizations sustained at work were not reported to police. When individuals were asked why they did not report, 40% said they believed the incident to be a minor or a private matter. An additional 27% did not report to police because they reported the victimization to another official, such as a company security guard.