How widespread is violence at work? Statistics paint a mixed picture. Between 9,000 and 13,000 reportable workplace accidents per year are caused by violence. After a pandemic-related decline, the number has recently risen again. However, the statutory accident insurance statistics only show part of the picture. An accident at work only has to be reported if it results in more than three days of incapacity for work. Psychological violence such as insults or threats are often not included in the statistics.

A representative survey conducted by forsa, Gesellschaft für Sozialforschung und statistische Analysen mbH on behalf of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), the umbrella organization of the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions, now shows that around a third of employees who have frequent contact with people outside the company, such as customers or patients, have experienced verbal abuse at work in the past twelve months. According to the study, the healthcare and social services sectors and public administration are particularly affected. Here, more than half of those surveyed stated that they had experienced at least one verbal assault. In the transport, retail and education sectors, more than a third of respondents reported such incidents. More information can be found on the DGUV website.

The consequences for those affected as well as companies and institutions can be serious. The “DGUV forum” magazine also deals with the causes of violence and the development of suitable prevention measures. Accident reports and the experience of the accident insurance institutions show that such incidents happen again and again.

As there is often no physical violence, many incidents are not reported. There are effective ways of preventing this. In order to increase the willingness to talk about violence, for example, a policy statement against violence by the management or leadership can be helpful. This describes a clear stance against violence and for respectful cooperation. This gives employees the confidence to act and promotes a culture of prevention in the company or institution. Much more information is available in the DGUV forum, which can be downloaded free of charge from the DGUV website.