Alarming Statistics

HEALTHCARE

• Healthcare workers are more likely to be attacked than prison guards or police officers.
1, 2, 3
• Healthcare workers are at a 400% higher risk of violence and harassment than any other work environment. 4, 5
• 90% of ED managers cite patient violence as the greatest threat to ED personnel. 6, 7
• 86% witnessed or experienced physical threats & assaults. 6, 7
• 74% report reduced job satisfaction due to violence. 6, 7
• 72% of nurses do not feel safe in their workplace. 2, 3
• 42% of hospitals reported an increase in the “boarding” of behavioral health patients in the emergency department. 8
• Female staff outnumbers male staff 4:1 in most hospital settings. 9

1 Emergency Nurses Association 2008 Annual Conference. Violence in the Emergency Department: Findings from ENA's Study of Workplace Violence Against Registered Nurses. September 27, 2008.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2002). Violence: occupational hazards in hospitals. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/2002-101.pdf.
3 International Council of Nurses. (n.d.). Violence: a world-wide epidemic. Nursing Matters Fact Sheet. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from http://wwww.icn.ch/matters_violence.htm.
4 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.) Workplace violence: issues in response. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from http://www.fbi.gov/publications/violence.pdf.
&social service workers. Retrieved January 7, 2008, from Http://www.osha.gov/Publictions/OSHA3148/osha3148.html#text1.
6 VHA, Inc. (2002). VHA poll: patient violence in ER tops concern of terrorism. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from http://www.hpnonline.com/dailyupdates/november_02.html.
7 Fernandes, CMB, et al. (1999) Violence in the emergency department: a survey of health care workers. CMAJ, 161, 1245-48.
8 American Hospital Association, 2007 Survey of Hospital Leaders.
9 International Association for Healthcare Safety & Security. Workplace Violence: Issues and Answers for the Healthcare Environment, 2009.

 

EDUCATION

• Up to 17% of teachers reported being threatened with injury and up to 8% reported being physically attacked in the last 12 months.1
• During the 2007-2008 school year, 85% of public schools recorded that at least one violent crime, theft, or other crime occurred at their school.1
• In 2007-2008, 38% of public schools reported at least one violent incident to police.1
• In 2007, the rates for violent crime were higher at school than away from school.1
• During the 2007-2008 school year, 11% of public schools reported that student acts of disrespect for teachers other than verbal abuse took place on a daily or weekly basis.1
• A greater percentage of teachers in city schools (10%) reported being threatened with injury than teachers in town schools (7%) and suburban or rural schools (6% each).1
• The psychological distress and injury that teachers face are significant, often resulting in their being less productive in class or leaving the profession altogether.2

1 Dinkes, R., Kemp, J., and Baum, K. (2009). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2009 (NCES 2010-012/NCJ 228478). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Washington, DC.
2 Novotney, A. Little-known victims: Violence against teachers is a little-known but significant problem. An APA task force is working to change that. American Psychological Association. October 2009, Vol 40, No. 9.