law enforcement to reduce violent acts contributes to the belief that society is unable to do anything to prevent violence (Petrie, 1990). This attitude encourages the public and government to believe that preventive measures are futile. Yet, the escalation and the broadening scope of violence demand serious effort be made to control this grave problem and its manifestation in the workplace. The United States is one of the most violent countries in the world, with a homicide rate 10 times higher than England and 25 times higher than Spain (Wolfgang, 1986). The nation's leading health officials have declared a public health emergency to address the problems of assaultive violence (Koop, 1992; Novello, 1992). Violence is the leading killer of women in the workplace (U.S. DOL, 1994) and, depending on the geographic area, the first, second, or third leading cause of death among all workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1994, homicide accounted for 16% of the 6,588 traumatic work related deaths in the United States. This represents over three workers killed every day in violent attacks (U.S. DOL, 1995). Workplace homicides are attacks reported about which there are fairly reliable statistics. According to Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) statistics, about 21,300 workers were injured in nonfatal assaults in the workplace in 1993. Women were victims in 56% of these assaults. The assaults included simple and aggravated assaults, robberies, and rapes (U.S. DOL, 1994). However, reported assaults cover only part of the problem. Many are not reported, as the injury may not require treatment. The assaulted employee fears being criticized or blamed for misconduct and does not report the incident or may believe that "assault goes with the territory." 305 CE ART I C L E DEFINING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Workplace violence is defined by the authors as any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened, or assaulted by a client, fellow employee, or member of the public in circumstances arising out of or in the course of employment. This may include robbery of people who handle items such as cash, valuables, or drugs. Sexual or other forms of harassment, stalking, or domestic violence that spills into the workplace are also included, as is violence perpetrated by customers or clients. Harassment includes acts by fellow employees, supervisors, coworkers, persons with power or influence, and the public. California Occupational Safety and Health Admisitration (Cal/OSHA) Guidelines for Workplace Security (State of California, 1995) classify violent incidents in the workplace for ease in understanding, assisting in risk assessment, and focusing preventive action. Incidents are classified into three types: • Type I: Involves a violent act by someone with no legitimate relationship to the workplace who enters it to commit a robbery or other criminally motivated act. In California, approximately 60% of workplace homicides are Type I events. The majority involve car jacking or robberies of small retail establishments or taxi...
