Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115682

Debra Gay Anderson, PhD, Peggy Riley, RN, MSN, and Amanda Fallin. College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, HSLC #551, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, 859-257-3410, danders@pop.uky.edu

An estimated 18,000 workers per week are victims of non-fatal assault at the workplace (NIOSH, 2001). Homicide is the leading cause of death among U.S. women in the workplace (Simonowitz et al., 1997). Sixteen percent of workplace homicides are perpetrated by an intimate partner (NIOSH, 2001). Workplace violence places many workers at risk. Women who are in low-wage positions are often subject to sexual harassment by employers, bosses, and other employees due to their vulnerable position and need for a job. In two studies (Anderson & Imle, 2001; Hatton, 2002), women reported abuse at their place of employment. They reported that they endured the abuse due to the need for a job to retain custody of their children (Hatton, 2002) or that they left their job because of recurring memories of childhood/adolescent abuse that resulted from the circumstances of the workplace (Anderson & Imle, 2001). The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of workplace violence in the lives of homeless women and women residing in domestic violence shelters. Qualitative data on violence at the worksite will be collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample. The research participants will answer open-ended questions about workplace violence. These data will be used to identify risks for workplace violence and to develop interventions to decrease the risk of exposure to violence in the workplace.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Identify the types of violence and the risks of exposure to violence experienced by women who are homeless or living in domestic violence shelters.
• 2. Identify other employment related stressors of homeless and battered women that place the health and safety of these women at risk.

Keywords: Workplace Stressors, Women

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.