Work Place Rage By Caroline Agbayani

Work Place Rage

By Caroline Agbayani

Over Worked, Under Paid, and Simply Out-RAGE-ouS

Crime Doctor's Take on

Work Place Violence

The Crime Doctor says "Workplace violence is the leading cause of death among female workers in the US and is the second leading cause of death for men."

Click on this picture to find out more about workplace violence

The following information was taken from crimedoctor's website.

About two million people in the U.S. are victims of violent crime in the workplace every year, according to a US Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Study taken between 1992-1996. The occupations examined included those that prior studies have deemed to be more vulnerable to criminal victimization.

The rate of violence per 1,000 workers during the five-year period studied was as follows:

OCCUPATION RATE VICTIMS

Law Enforcement Officers 306 234,000

Prison or Jail Corrections Officers 218 58,300

Taxi Drivers 184 16,100

Private Security Guards 117 71,100

Bartenders 91 26,400

Mental Health Professionals 80 50,300

Gas Station Attendants 79 15,500

Convenience or Liquor Store Clerks 68 61,500

Mental Health Custodial Worker s 63 8,700

Junior High/Middle School Teachers 57 47,300

Bus Drivers 45 17,200

Special Education Teachers 41 9,000

High School Teachers 29 33,300

Elementary School Teachers 16 35,400

College or University Teachers 3 6,600

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, homicide was the second leading cause of death in the workplace following highway fatalities. Workplace murders accounted for 1 of every 6 fatal occupational injuries. Firearms were used to commit more than 80% of all workplace homicides. By far, white males between the ages of 25 and 44 were the victims of workplace homicides occurring as a result of an armed robbery in a late-night retail setting.

The epidemic of workplace violence and rage has claimed the lives of many hardworking Americans and continues to escalate at alarming rates across the nation. Workplace rage involves more than employees that "just snap". Violence in the workplace can impact the lives of employees and cause psychological damage amongst its victims. But how do companies prevent workers from going postal and what are the signs to watch out for? The Crime Doctor offers several astounding statistics on workplace violence, information about high-risk occupations, killer profile, possible triggers for rage and violence, and prevention measures. Workplace violence is an issue that needs to be addressed before more people are victimized, or worse, left for dead.

5 things to Defuse Workplace Violence

If you are in the work force, you are a potential victim. As scary or paranoid as that may seem, you still need to know how to deal with workplace rage. The following excerpt was taken from the website entitled: Defuse Impending Violence

SCENARIO:

You're approached and informed that one of your employees is "on the edge" and there is a definite potential for violence.

The employee is "in between"…past the PREVENTION stage, but has not YET committed violence.

Even if law enforcement has been called, the person is in your close proximity and may need to be defused right now.

The ball is in YOUR court. Do you have the skills to communicate in a crisis?

You need to ask yourself, "Is this a situation I can defuse?" If yes, proceed. If no, CALL 911!

The author of this article addresses the problem of workplace violence in a simplistic yet practical way. His advice is just within reach of all employees and should be rehearsed whenever any red flags go up in the work place. He urges the reader to perform these five things:

Understand the mindset of the potentially violent person.
Take the moral "high road"
LISTEN to the aggrieved party and allow a total "airing" of the grievance without comment or judgment
Allow the aggrieved party to suggest a solution
Move toward a win-win resolution

I like the way he offers good, practical advice that can be used in many different contexts, not only in the workplace. We can stop feeling like we are helpless when it comes to workplace violence and take charge of what little things we can do to prevent it. We go to work because it is a part of life and not because it takes our life away.