Nearly three in four people who carried out workplace attacks displayed “behaviors of concern” before they turned violent, according to the first U.S. Secret Service report focused on workplace violence, ABC News reported.
The report from the agency’s National Threat Assessment Center examined attacks from 2016 to 2020. Center chief Lina Alathari said 53% of the workplace attackers had a history of domestic violence, compared with just over 40% of mass attackers overall. About two-thirds had prior criminal charges.
Some had prompted victims to seek protective or restraining orders. Others made disturbing statements or threats before the attacks.
Alathari said such incidents still happen on a “monthly or weekly basis” and that employers can prevent some by training staff to recognize and report warning signs.
Sources: ABC News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.