The United States is largely thought to be a very safe and relatively non-violent country. However, recent studies have shown that in the U.S. there are some ugly statistics involving physical assault. So where’s the one place that one should feel safest?
One would hope it would be their place of work since most people spend a majority (8-12 hours) of their days there. Unfortunately, this may not be the case; detailed below are three eye-opening statistics that deal with physical assault in the workplace.
1. Approximately 4 Million People in America were assaulted this year.
That’s a lot of assaults for a, “relatively non-violent country” and more than the population of some of the biggest U.S Cities. It is hard to believe that about 4 million people are physically assaulted every year, yet this is only the number of assaults that are reported. A significant number of assaults happen at home through domestic violence or at the workplace; unfortunately, many of these incidents go unreported.
The United States is thought to be a non-violent place, but it is clearly evident that physical assault is prevalent throughout the country.
2. Women and men of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate partner.
People tend to think that most domestic violence incidents are caused by males. However, studies have shown that men and women are equally susceptible to violence from their partner. What does domestic violence have to do with the workplace?
A lot, actually. It is estimated that domestic violence costs employers $3 to $5 billion a year in lost days of work and reduced productivity. Domestic violence and workplace assault go hand in hand, and regrettably both share foul statistics with regards to the high percentages of violence in American homes and workplaces.
3.Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year.
The 2 million American workers that are physically assaulted each year is merely an estimate, as a significant amount of workplace violence isn’t officially reported. We have already seen the economic figures that domestic violence has on the work force. This makes it hard to imagine the numbers that may be associated with actual workplace violence.
It is clearly evident that more employers need to take appropriate actions and identify the factors associated with work place violence and the subsequent risk of assault so workplace violence can be prevented or minimized through applicable precautions
Physical Assault in the workplace is a preventable statistic. Staggering numbers have been revealed in recent studies showing that workplace violence affects many Americans today.
Appropriate steps should be taken by employers and employees alike to prevent workplace violence. Hopefully, these three eye-opening statistics well help motivate you to do your part in helping those who are affected by physical assault.