Forensic Psychology Research Team

Mario J. Scalora, Ph.D.

Workplace Violence Research

Another area for targeted violence is much more pervasive in its impact, namely workplace violence. Government statistics indicate that between 1993 and 1999, on average annually, 1.7 million workers were victimized while at work or on duty with an average of 900 homicides annually. Informing the consideration of potential risk factors, employers face several sources of legal liability to prevent workplace violence from a variety of case law and statutory requirements to provide safe environments for their employees and guests regardless of whether the source of threat is external or internal to the worksite. While recent federal studies have investigated both reported and unreported incidents of workplace violence across different settings, a dearth of risk factor research across a range of cases exists. Our research team has studied police contacts across retail and non-retail settings to identify risk factors ( Scalora , Washington , Casady, & Newell, 2002; Scalora , Washington , Casady, & Hansen, 2003).

Current research focuses upon unreported and reported incidents across government agencies, educational institutions as well as health care settings. Such findings have substantial implications for training, intervention, and prevention activity across these settings (e.g., Hatch-Maillette & Scalora, 2002).

Representative publications in this area:

Scalora, M. J., Washington, D.O., Newell, S. P., Casady, T., & Hansen, L. (2003). Epidemiological data of non-fatal workplace violence from local and state police law enforcement samples. Journal of Threat Assessment, 2, 17-33.

Scalora, M. J., Washington, D. O., Casady, T., & Newell, S. P. (2002). Non-Fatal Workplace Violence: Risk Factors: Data From a Police Contact Sample. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 310-327. pdf version

Hatch-Maillette, M. A., Scalora, M. J. (2002). Gender, sexual harassment, workplace violence and risk assessment: Convergence around psychiatric staff’s perceptions of public safety. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 7, 271-291. pdf version

Representative conference presentations in this area:

Bader, S. M, & Scalora, M. J., & Black, S.(2004, March). The Role of Mental Illness in Workplace Violence: Implications for Risk Assessment. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Annual Conference, Scottsdale , Arizona .

Hatch-Maillette, M. A., Covell, C. N., & Scalora, M. J. (2002, March). A gender-based incidence study of workplace violence in psychiatric and forensic settings. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Biennial Conference, Austin, Texas.

Hatch-Maillette, M. A., Scalora, M. J., & Bornstein, B. (2002, March). Perceptions of workplace violence in psychiatric settings: Does gender play a role? Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Biennial Conference, Austin, Texas.

Newell, S. P., Scalora, M. J., & Slawson, H. (2002, March). Reporting trends for harassing and threatening contacts toward a state legislature. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Biennial Conference, Austin, Texas.