Workplace Violence Research Study Released

A two year workplace violence research study by Northeastern University has been released. This research measures community responses of both workers and supervisors in Wakefield, MA in the aftermath of a December 2000 workplace violence incident claiming seven lives.

WATERTOWN, MA (PRWEB) November 29, 2004 -- Doherty Partners LLC president Stephen Doherty, the retired Chief of the Wakefield (MA) Police Department announced the release of a major workplace violence research study.This community based research was in response to the December 26, 2000 workplace shootings of seven employees at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield, MA. The research was funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety. It is believed to be the first post critical workplace violence incident research in the United States.

The two year study conducted by Northeastern University’s College of Criminal Justice under the direction of noted criminologist and Dean, Dr. Jack Greene sought to supply information regarding the nature and scope of workplace violence in Wakefield as well as information and ideas on what police strategies could be used to prevent and reduce the likelihood of workplace violence from occurring.Both employees and supervisors from manufacturing, construction, retail, personal services, health, social services, government, and hi tech workplaces responded to the randomized anonymous survey. Examined as well were differences in perceptions and response by industry, gender and managers versus employees.

Some major findings of the research were:
• Females appear to have a lower threshold for violence in the workplace. They also seem to be more in touch with the role that domestic violence plays in the workplace.
• Individuals can become both desensitized as well as more sensitive to certain behaviors depending on their work environment.
• There is no clear consensus on what acts and behaviors constitute workplace violence.• There is a difference in how managers and employees view the problem of workplace violence even though they are victimized at the same rate.
• Women were more likely than males to perceive that receiving threats of workplace violence was likely. Eighty percent of females as compared to 56.5 percent of males believe that they are likely to receive any type of threat.

The entire workplace violence research study is available in downloadable .pdf format at http://www.dohertypartners.com.