[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 205 (Monday, October 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55045-55046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25649]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-10-09BL]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c43414e6c4f484f024b435a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1c73717e5c7f787f327b736a">[email protected]</span></a>. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-5806. 
Written comments should be received within 30 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 in Pennsylvania; (2) Identify the 
circumstances and most common risk

[[Page 55046]]

factors for physical, non-physical, and electronic WPV in teachers and 
paraprofessionals in Pennsylvania; (3) Measure the impact of WPV on job 
satisfaction and quality of life. These goals are solely based on the 
State of Pennsylvania and are not based on a nation wide study.
    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 5,000 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 
2,500 hours. Participation in the study is completely voluntary.
    This survey will also utilize the skills and time of a variety of 
union office and administrative staff for the preparation of the survey 
packets. The exact number of administrative staff utilized at each 
union location, as well as the additional work demands placed on them 
has yet to be determined, though our best guess is 13 individuals. It 
is estimated that three office support staff from the Pittsburgh 
Federation of Teachers, six from the Pennsylvania State Education 
Association, and four from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers will 
be needed for a grand total of 13 support staff personnel. Additional 
work activities could include: Preparation of the sampling frame 
database and non-respondent database, printing of mailing labels, 
affixation of mailing labels onto survey packets, and e-mail and/or 
phone communication with NIOSH. For each mailing, we estimate that each 
of the 13 administration assistants will dedicate two hours to the 
mailing. So, for each mailing, a grand total of 26 hours will be 
burdened. There will be three separate mailings for a grand total 
burden of 78 burden hours.
    There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annual burden hours are 2,578.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
                           Respondents                              respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elementary and Secondary School Employees.......................           5,000               1           30/60
Office & Administrative Support Occupations.....................              13               3               2
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    Dated: October 19, 2009.
Maryam Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-25649 Filed 10-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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