Which type of assailant is most frequently associated with workplace violence?

Which type of assailant is most frequently associated with workplace violence?

• A. A coworker
• B. A supervisor
• C. A person who has no relationship to the workplace
• D. A vendor who has relationships with workplace

Answer: (C)

Workplace violence is categorized by the relationship between the offender and the workplace, with four commonly used types: a person with criminal intent who has no relationship to the workplace, a customer or client, a coworker or employee, or someone with a personal relationship to someone at the workplace. The most frequent offender is the one with no relationship to the workplace—someone who enters to commit a crime and is not connected to the organization. This distinction matters because prevention strategies differ: unknown outsiders are deterred most effectively by strong access controls, visitor management, lighting, surveillance, and quick coordination with law enforcement, along with staff training to recognize suspicious behavior and respond appropriately. Internal attackers (coworkers or supervisors) and those with legitimate workplace relationships (such as vendors) do occur, and must be addressed with policies, screening where appropriate, and supportive reporting mechanisms, but they appear less often as a group compared to unknown outsiders.

Workplace violence is categorized by the relationship between the offender and the workplace, with four commonly used types: a person with criminal intent who has no relationship to the workplace, a customer or client, a coworker or employee, or someone with a personal relationship to someone at the workplace. The most frequent offender is the one with no relationship to the workplace—someone who enters to commit a crime and is not connected to the organization. This distinction matters because prevention strategies differ: unknown outsiders are deterred most effectively by strong access controls, visitor management, lighting, surveillance, and quick coordination with law enforcement, along with staff training to recognize suspicious behavior and respond appropriately. Internal attackers (coworkers or supervisors) and those with legitimate workplace relationships (such as vendors) do occur, and must be addressed with policies, screening where appropriate, and supportive reporting mechanisms, but they appear less often as a group compared to unknown outsiders.