Workplace Violence: Cause for Concern or the Construction of a New Category of Fear?

Abstract

This paper discusses the problems raised by growing media, official and organisa tional attention to workplace violence. At present this issue is documented in a diffuse and frequently inflammatory way with little attention to accurate quantifi cation of incidence and no systematic attempt to place the risk in context. Sugges tions are made for definition, classification and operationalisation of the variables that constitute workplace violence to facilitate agency data collection, research and management.