Violence and Theft in the Workplace

• NCJ Number: 148199
• Date Published: July 1994
• Length: 2 pages
• Author(s): R. Bachman
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Series: BJS Crime Data Briefs
• Publication Type: Statistics

Annotation

This report analyzes data from the National Crime Victimization Survey for 1987-92 concerning violence and theft in the workplace.

Abstract

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. The missed work resulted in over $55 million in lost wages annually, not including days covered by sick and annual leave. Men were more likely to experience a violent crime, but women were just as likely to become victims of theft while working. Victims who were working were as likely to face armed offenders as those victimized while not working. Victims of violence at work were less likely to be injured than victims of violence that occurred away from work. 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. Six out of 10 incidents of workplace violence occurred in private companies. Men who were victimized while working were more likely to be attacked by a stranger, women more likely to be attacked by someone known to them. Over half of all victimizations sustained at work were not reported to police. Figures, tables