Most people think of violence as a physical assault.
However, workplace violence is a much broader problem. It is any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment. This includes words, gestures, intimidation, bullying, or other inappropriate activities. Rumours, swearing, verbal abuse, pranks, arguments, property damage, vandalism, sabotage, pushing, theft, physical assaults, psychological trauma, anger-related incidents, rape, arson and murder are all examples of workplace violence. Workplace violence is not limited to incidents that occur within a traditional workplace.