Workplace violence has gained increasing attention over the last ten years, with numerous reports of disgruntled current or former employees killing co-workers and bystanders at work. Domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking underlie a significant portion of workplace violence. A workplace becomes an easy target because the perpetrator can readily locate or access an intended victim. Domestic and sexual violence and stalking pose significant safety risks and economic impact in workplaces nationwide.
Take a look at the facts below.
The Facts on the Workplace and Domestic Violence
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the cost of intimate partner rape, physical assault and stalking totaled $8.3 billion annually in 2003 dollars. This includes costs of direct medical and mental health care services and lost productivity from paid work and household chores.
- Women are much more likely than men to be victims of on-the-job intimate partner homicide. Spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends and ex-boyfriends/ex-girlfriends were responsible for the on- the-job deaths of 321 women and 38 men from 1997-2009.
- A 2005 phone survey of 1,200 full-time American employees found that 44 percent of full-time employed adults personally experienced domestic violence’s effect in their workplaces, and 21 percent identified themselves as victims of intimate partner violence.
- A 2005 study using data from a national telephone survey of 8,000 women about their experiences with violence found that women experiencing physical intimate partner violence victimization reported an average of 7.2 days of work-related lost productivity and 33.9 days in productivity losses associated with household chores, child care, school, volunteer activities, and social/recreational activities.
The Facts on the Workplace and Sexual Violence
- Including forcible rape, incapacitated rape and drug-alcohol facilitated rape, over one million women in the U.S. were estimated to have had a rape experience within the past year.
- The United States Department of Justice estimates that eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is working.
- In 2000, 36% of rape/sexual assault victims lost more than 10 days of work after their victimization.
- According to the National Institute of Justice, rape costs our country more than any other crime, followed by assault ($93 billion); murder ($71 billion); and drunk driving, including fatalities ($61 billion).
The Facts on the Workplace and Stalking
- A 2010 study showed that 6.6 million people were victims of stalking in a one-year period. Women are nearly 3 times more likely than men to experience stalking victimization and Individuals under age 25 experience the highest rates of stalking.
- In one study, over 51% of stalking victims indicated that it had occurred at least once on work premises.
- About 130,000 victims of stalking (about 5% of employed victims) in a 12- month period, from 2005 to 2006, reported that they were fired or asked to leave their jobs because of stalking. About one in eight employed stalking victims lost time from work because of fear for their safety or because they needed to get a restraining order or testify in court. More than half these victims lost five days or more of work.