The role of surveillance and evaluation research in the reduction of violence against workers¹

Abstract 

Background: Violence against workers is garnering increased attention as awareness grows of the toll violent events have on workers and work environments.

Methods: In this review, we summarize information about surveillance of violent events in the workplace and summarize evaluations of intervention programs to reduce such violence. We describe surveillance programs that nationally collect data, and we compare some data. We summarize two systematic studies of workplace violence–prevention programs: The first study examined evaluations of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design approach to prevention, and the second examined evaluations of behavioral and administrative interventions.

Results: Reliable national data sets of worker homicides exist, but case identification and coding problems have yet to be solved. Although the number of workplace homicides has decreased since the mid-1990s, much less is known about the incidence of nonfatal events. The role that prevention programs have played in reducing workplace homicide remains largely unknown because so few evaluations have been conducted.

Conclusions: Information about effective methods to reduce violence against workers is needed. Research that evaluates existing prevention programs, especially efforts conducted in a collaborative manner, will be invaluable to shaping effective programs in the future.

Keywords:  evaluation studies, violence, workplace

• 1 The full text of this article is temporarily available until February 2002 via AJPM Online at www.elsevier.com/locate/ajpmonline.