ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author provides an overview of the different scenarios in which occupational violence is most commonly experienced, reviews research evidence on incidence patterns, and highlights the risk factors. Nevertheless, the general trend in all industrialized countries is for an increasing incidence of occupational violence to the point that, in high-risk jobs, aggression against workers is at epidemic levels. In the United States, violence is a significant contributor to work-related fatalities, a pattern which is distinct from other industrialized countries. Overall, occupational violence is most common in jobs where cash is on hand and which require substantial face-to-face contact between workers and their clients or customers. The jobs at highest risk of external violence are similar across industrialized countries. Workers in banks, post offices, and gambling outlets, armored vehicles transporting cash, taxi drivers, convenience stores, hotels, and service stations are at high risk.
