THE NATIONAL VICTIM CENTER WORKPLACE VIOLENCE SYMPOSIUM

OPENING REMARKS BY

AILEEN ADAMS

DIRECTOR

OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

FEBRUARY 28, 1997

CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA

THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR THE WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION AND FOR ORGANIZING THIS IMPORTANT SYMPOSIUM ON THE MANY ISSUES FACED BY VICTIMS OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE. YOU HAVE ASSEMBLED A ROOMFUL OF EXTRAORDINARY TALENT AND EXPERTISE FROM ACROSS THE NATION. I AM SURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE AS EAGER AS I AM TO START THE FIRST DAY'S "TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE". BUT BEFORE THE WORKSHOPS BEGIN, I WANTED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT OVC AND THE REASONS WE ARE LOOKING TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.

OVC, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, IS THE OFFICE WITHIN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THAT WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF VICTIMS ARE MET, THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD, AND THAT THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENCOUNTER VICTIMS HAVE THE TRAINING AND PROGRAMS NEEDED TO TREAT VICTIMS FAIRLY AND WITH DIGNITY.

AS THE DIRECTOR OF OVC, I ADMINISTER THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND. THIS FUND IS A UNIQUE FORM OF JUSTICE DERIVED NOT FROM TAXPAYERS BUT FROM FINES AND PENALTY ASSESSMENTS LEVIED AGAINST FEDERAL CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. OVER 90 PERCENT OF THESE FUNDS -- WHICH THIS YEAR AMOUNT TO OVER 520 MILLION DOLLARS -- ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE STATES TO SUPPORT LOCAL VICTIM COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SUCH AS BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS, RAPE CRISIS CENTERS, AND CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS.

THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDS GO TO PROGRAMS TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF FEDERAL CRIMES, AND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE SERVICES AND INITIATIVES FOR CRIME VICTIMS NATIONWIDE. COPIES OF OVC BULLETINS THAT DESCRIBE SOME OF OUR PRINCIPAL PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE RESOURCE TABLES. ONE OF THE MAIN POINTS I WANT YOU TO CARRY AWAY IS TO THINK OF THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND -- AND OVC -- AS A RESOURCE FOR PROGRAMS THAT WILL HELP VICTIMS OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE. FOR EXAMPLE:

* LAST YEAR OVC IDENTIFIED WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AS A PRIORITY ISSUE FOR FUNDING AND AWARDED THE NATIONAL VICTIM CENTER A GRANT TO SPONSOR THIS SYMPOSIUM.

* THE BANK ROBBERY VIDEO "CRISIS TO RESOLUTION," WHICH WILL BE SHOWN LATER TODAY, WAS RECENTLY PRODUCED BY THE MODEL VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FROM THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN'S U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WITH FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE BY OVC.

* WE ALSO FUND SEVERAL PROJECTS DEALING WITH WORK-RELATED VIOLENCE, SOMETIMES CALLED "STAFF VICTIMIZATION." WORK-RELATED VIOLENCE IN THE CORRECTIONS FIELD, IN PROBATION AND PAROLE, AND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS COMMONPLACE AND HAS BEEN GENERALLY TOLERATED AS "PART OF THE JOB" UNTIL RECENTLY. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONS, WE ARE DEVELOPING A NATIONAL TELECONFERENCE ON STAFF VICTIMIZATION IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

OTHER PRIORITY ISSUES FOR OVC, SUCH AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TOPICS WE WILL BE DISCUSSING HERE. WHETHER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IMPACTS A WORKPLACE DIRECTLY, BECAUSE A BATTERER FOLLOWS HIS PREY TO HER JOB SITE, OR INDIRECTLY BY AFFECTING THE JOB PERFORMANCE OF AN ABUSED WOMAN, EMPLOYERS ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASSISTING EMPLOYEES WHO ARE THE VICTIMS. WITH A $100,000 GRANT FROM OVC, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND IN SAN FRANCISCO IS BUILDING ON THE PIONEERING WORK OF COMPANIES LIKE POLAROID, LIZ CLAIBORNE, THE GAP, AND KAISER PERMANENTE TO EDUCATE OTHER PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EMPLOYERS, AS WELL AS THE UNIONS REPRESENTING THEIR WORKERS, THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A WORKPLACE ISSUE. OVC IS EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING WITH GROUPS LIKE THE NATIONAL VICTIMS CENTER AND THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND WHO ARE BREAKING NEW GROUND IN DESIGNING EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE RESPONSES TO VIOLENCE.

WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN 1994, A SURVEY BY LIZ CLAIBORNE, INC. FOUND THAT 57% OF CORPORATE LEADERS BELIEVED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO BE A MAJOR SOCIAL ISSUE, BUT ONLY 12% THOUGHT THAT CORPORATIONS SHOULD PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN ADDRESSING IT. DONNA NORTON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND PROJECT, WILL BE JOINING US TOMORROW MORNING TO SHARE INFORMATION ON INNOVATIVE CORPORATE RESPONSES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MANY OF WHICH ARE STILL IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE.

UNDERSTANDING THE INCIDENCE OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY -- AND THE TRUE COST TO THESE CRIME VICTIMS -- IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN BRINGING THE RESOURCES OF EMPLOYERS, UNIONS, AND COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO WORK TO HELP THESE VICTIMS HEAL.

WHILE SOME OCCUPATIONS ARE CLEARLY AT HIGHER RISK FOR VIOLENCE -- LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETAIL, EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO NAME A FEW -- NO GROUP IS IMMUNE FROM WORKPLACE VIOLENCE. A PAWN SHOP OWNER, CONVENIENCE STORE CLERK, PSYCHOLOGIST, TWO SANITATION WORKERS, A TAVERN OWNER, A FISHERMAN, A COOK, TWO CAB DRIVERS, A FURNITURE STORE OWNER, A RESTAURANT MANAGER, A MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR, A VIDEO STORE OWNER, AND A POSTAL CARRIER WERE ALL MURDERED AT WORK IN ONE WEEK. ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, HOMICIDE IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE WORKPLACE, AFTER VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS. AMONG WOMEN, WHO REPRESENT 47% OF THE U.S. WORKFORCE, HOMICIDE IS THE LEADING MANNER OF DEATH FROM OCCUPATIONAL TRAUMA. FIREARMS ARE USED IN CLOSE TO 3/4 OF ALL OCCUPATIONAL HOMICIDES.

OF COURSE, THE FATALITIES ARE JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. DOJ'S NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY REPORTS THAT APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION PERSONS ANNUALLY ARE ASSAULTED WHILE AT WORK INCLUDING 615,160 SIMPLE ASSAULTS, 264,174 AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, 79,109 ROBBERIES, AND 13,068 RAPES.

WHILE MOST OF THE VIOLENCE OCCURS IN CONNECTION WITH ROBBERIES, IN MANY CASES THE VIOLENCE IS COMMITTED BY COWORKERS OR FORMER COWORKERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE RASH OF POSTAL SERVICE SHOOTINGS IN RECENT YEARS WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY CAUSED BY COWORKERS, COMPARED TO VIOLENCE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES. SERVICE INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS NURSING HOMES, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER FACILITIES PROVIDING RESIDENTIAL CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES ACCOUNT FOR ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF NON-FATAL ASSAULTS, MANY PERPETRATED BY PATIENTS AND CLIENTS.

THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING ACCOUNTED FOR 12 PERCENT OF THE JOB-RELATED HOMICIDES IN 1995.

WHETHER THE SOURCE IS A DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE, A WORKER'S VIOLENT PARTNER, AN ANGRY CLIENT, A ROBBERY ATTEMPT, OR A TERRORIST ATTACK, THE OUTCOME IS THE SAME -- DEATH, INJURY, AND THE PROLONGED TRAUMATIZATION OF THE SURVIVORS. THE WORKPLACE ITSELF MAY SUFFER FROM THE COLLECTIVE TRAUMA OF THE VICTIM'S CO-WORKERS.

RECENTLY, ONE OF THE OVC PROGRAM OFFICERS ON A RIDE-ALONG HAD A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE ACCOMPANYING A CRISIS RESPONSE COUNSELOR TO A LARGE CORPORATE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER A FEMALE EMPLOYEE WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND, WHO WORKED IN THE SAME BUILDING. THE OVC STAFFER MET WITH CO-WORKERS AND FRIENDS OF THE VICTIM, WHO HAD BEEN ENJOYING A COFFEE BREAK WITH HER MINUTES BEFORE THE SHOOTING. TRAGICALLY, HER SUPERVISOR AND CO-WORKERS WERE AWARE OF HER DOMESTIC PROBLEMS, THEY KNEW THAT GUNS WERE INVOLVED, AND THEY WATCHED AS THE VIOLENCE ESCALATED OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL WEEKS. ALTHOUGH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WERE AVAILABLE THE NEXT MONDAY TO COUNSEL AFFECTED EMPLOYEES, NO PROTOCOL WAS IN PLACE TO DETECT ESCALATING VIOLENCE, DIFFUSE THE SITUATION, OR PROTECT THE WORKERS. WE LATER LEARNED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND DOMESTIC HOMICIDE AT THIS PLANT IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS.

THIS RECENT EXPERIENCE WAS A VIVID REMINDER OF HOW MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE -- ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING PREVENTION STRATEGIES. I LOOK FORWARD TO TODAY'S PANELS ON HOW TO MEET THE NEEDS OF VICTIMS BEFORE, AS WELL AS AFTER, A VIOLENT EPISODE. I WANT TO LEARN WHAT PRACTICES AND PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO DEAL WITH WORKPLACE VIOLENCE VICTIMIZATION. IN YOUR WORKSHOPS TODAY AND TOMORROW, YOU WILL DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION PLANS FOR THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, FOR VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDERS, FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, FOR THE LARGER COMMUNITY, AND FOR OUR OFFICE. OVC IS ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP DEVELOP AND SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

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