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Workplace Violence Essay

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Workplace Violence

According to the FBI, workplace violence is the number one growing homicide in the United States. There are an estimated 225,000 to 300,000 occurrences of violence each year. Despite the aforementioned statistic, some managers have simply failed to address the issue of workplace violence. Such negligence has not necessarily been purposeful. It has been due to a lack of awareness of the problem coupled with a preoccupation of everyday pressures.

Many managers view workplace violence as just another workplace scourge such as sexual harassment--another governmental compliance burden. Unlike sexual harassment, workplace violence has resulted in people dying and that is precisely why it must be stopped.

Sadly, far …show more content…

Personal characteristics attempt to define sex, age, and life experiences that are common to workplace violence. Behavioral characteristics can generally be considered as independent of the sex, age, or life experiences of potential individuals. A combination of these elements, personal and behavioral, helps to more precisely define the lethal employee or perpetrator (Hesket, 1996).

Based on case histories of workplace violence, researchers have developed a profile into which a significant portion of the offenders fit. Most offenders are white males between the ages of thirty and sixty years old; they have been employed with the same company for a long period of time (that is, not a new or temporary employee); the individual demonstrates a history of violent behavior, alcohol or drug dependence, and severe or chronic depression. Also, Athose who are loners, own several guns and become paranoid about others (Kurlad, 1998).@ Below are a list of 20 common characteristics of perpetrators which may predict violent acts:

1. Disgruntled regarding a perceived injustice at work;

2. Socially isolated (loner);

3. Poor self-esteem;

4. Cries for help of some kind (excessive time off,

displays conduct or performance problems);

5. Fascination with the military;

6. A gun or weapon collector;

7. Temper-control difficulties may have been observed;

8. Threats may have been made;

9. Few, if any outlets for rage;

10. Excessive interest in

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