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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18383-18384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9156]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-09-09BL]

Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar PhD, CDC Acting Reports 
Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send 
an e-mail to [email protected].
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    The Epidemiology and Impact of Workplace Violence in Pennsylvania 
Teachers and Paraprofessionals--NEW--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant concern for employers and 
employees alike; every year in the U.S., WPV results in hundreds of 
deaths, nearly two million nonfatal injuries, and billions of dollars 
in costs. Historically, the education field has not been the focus of 
WPV research; however, the classroom is a workplace too. From 1999 to 
2003, teachers were the victims of approximately 183,000 nonfatal 
crimes including 119,000 thefts and 65,000 violent crimes such as rape 
and assault.
    Workplace violence is not limited to physical attacks; verbal 
threats, bullying, and harassment also produce psychological harm to 
teachers and school staff. A newer form of such violence is that of 
electronic aggression. The CDC defines the problem as: ``Any type of 
harassment or bullying (teasing, telling lies, making fun of someone, 
making rude or mean comments, spreading rumors, or making threatening 
or aggressive comments) that occurs through e-mail, a chat room, 
instant messaging, a Web site (including blogs) or text messaging.'' 
While a recent study found that 35% of young people had been the 
victims of electronic aggression, the impact of this in the workplace 
is relatively unknown. The extant evidence indicates that working in a 
school environment carries an excess risk for becoming a victim of some 
form of WPV; however, little is known about the incidence or risk 
factors for such.
    The Occupational Safety and Health Act, Public Law 91-596 (section 
20[a] [1]) authorizes the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
and Health (NIOSH) to conduct research to advance the health and safety 
of workers. NIOSH is conducting a population-based, cross-sectional 
survey among teachers and paraprofessionals in the state of 
Pennsylvania. The goals of this study are (1) Estimate the number and 
prevalence proportions (rates) of physical, non-physical, and 
electronic WPV in teachers and paraprofessionals; (2) Identify the 
circumstances and most common risk factors for physical, non-physical, 
and electronic WPV in teachers and paraprofessionals; (3) Measure the 
impact of WPV on job satisfaction and quality of life.
    NIOSH is proposing to conduct a population-based, cross-sectional 
survey among teachers and paraprofessionals in the state of 
Pennsylvania. Paper-and-pencil surveys will be mailed to potential 
participants through the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT), 
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PA-AFT), and the Pennsylvania 
State Education Association (PSEA). Since approximately 90% of teachers 
and 65% of paraprofessionals in the state of Pennsylvania hold 
membership in one of these three unions and no known state-wide 
database exists that includes both teachers and paraprofessionals, a 
sample of eligible participants will be drawn using state-based union 
records.
    A stratified random sample will be drawn to ensure 
representativeness on important dimensions such as gender of 
participant and urban-rural status of the school district. In 
conjunction with each participating union, study packets consisting of 
an introduction letter, paper-and-pencil survey, and non-response form 
will be mailed to eligible participant's home addresses. The 
questionnaire is a paper-and-pencil survey and provides information on 
the following categories: demographics, occupation, physical assault 
characteristics, non-physical assault characteristics, electronic 
aggression characteristics, job satisfaction, and quality of life.
    The sample size for the cross-sectional survey is estimated to be 
approximately 6,450 teachers and paraprofessionals. This estimate is 
based on the number of reported teachers and paraprofessionals 
represented by the three unions participating in this study and on an 
80% response rate that is comparable to the response rate of previously 
conducted surveys in similar populations. Pilot test data demonstrates 
that respondents should take approximately 30 minutes to complete the 
paper-and-pencil survey, resulting in an annualized burden estimate of 
3,225 hours. Participation in the study is completely voluntary.
    Once the study is completed, NIOSH will provide a copy of the final 
report to each participating union.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time.

[[Page 18384]]

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Teachers & Support Personnel....................           6,450               1             0.5           3,225
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           3,225
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    Dated: April 15, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Science Officer, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-9156 Filed 4-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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