According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, fewer than half of all non-fatal violent workplace crimes are reported to police.
Government statistics tend to underestimate the true intent of violence at work for a few few reasons:
Data is collected on "battery" or incidents resulting in physical injury or death. Threats, verbal threats and harassment are not reported to government agencies."
In some jobs, assaults are so common that they are dismissed as "part of the job."
Other possible sources if information about violence - like hospital records or police reports - often fail to provide information about whether the injury was work-related.
Employers discourage employees from filing workers' compensation claims for assault. In addition, many injuries do not meet the criteria for receiving workers' compensation.
Most of us know that recent tragic events have put a spotlight on violence against nurses and other healthcare workers. As nurses, it is up to us to ensure safety on the job. The first step must be to stop accepting workplace violence as part of the territory of being a nurse and speak honestly about what's going on out there. It is time for us to report violence and tell our stories. Click here to share YOUR story.