ABSTRACT
The image of the public employee holding only a desk job is, of course, somewhat misinformed. Public employees include police officers, firefighters, and prison guards, whose work inherently involves the risk of physical harm. Nurses and other health care professionals work with patients and inmates who are sometimes out of control and aggressive and who can have contagious illnesses. Courtrooms are scenes where violence can take place. On March 24, 1998, two students opened fire on their school playground in Jonesboro, Arkansas, killing a teacher and four classmates. In 1999, schools from Colorado to Georgia and Connecticut to California experienced a rash of highly publicized incidents of violence and disruption. These incidents are dramatic reminders that schools, too, are vulnerable to acts of violence.
