According to the most recent British Crime Survey , there were almost 849,000 reported incidents of violence at work in England and Wales.

Whilst we can all recognise physical violence, recognising psychological violence has until recently presented more of a challenge. Physical violence can result in horrific physical injuries which are obvious even to the untrained eye. What's not so well recognised is that psychological violence, can, over the long term, cause just as severe injury to health. 

Employees whose job requires them to deal with the public are most at risk of violence. However, violence in the shape of bullying and verbal abuse can and does happen in all business environments.

The cost of violence whether actual physical assault, threatened or verbal is extremely costly both to the employer and employee alike.

For employers violence can lead to poor morale and a poor image for the organisation, making it difficult to recruit and keep staff. It can also mean extra costs in the shape of: 

	Absenteeism
	Loss of trained and valuable members of staff
	Increased costs involved in replacing injured/absent staff
	Higher insurance premiums
	Higher risk of litigation and compensation payments

For the victim the trauma and stress of suffering from violence at work can have a profound, damaging and prolonged effect on their well-being and their ability to return to work.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, states that employers have a responsibility to protect their staff from violence and the threat of violence.

Typically - those workers who face a higher risk of suffering violence at work and who are also fearful of violence at work include: 

	Public transport workers
	Nurses
	Other health professionals
	Retail Sales
	Cashiers, bank managers
	Security and protective services
	Catering/hotels/restaurants
	Care workers
	Teachers
	Other education and welfare workers
	Secretarial staff

On average there are seven incidents of violence per month in each NHS Trust in England, adding up to around 65,000 incidents each year. Around two thirds of attacks are on nurses.

School violence has also had a higher profile, especially after recent incidents including the fatal stabbing of headmaster Philip Lawrence and the shootings at Columbine High School in America. 

The Red Poppy Company provides a range of trauma management services designed to provide the right level of support to staff suffering violence at work (see the Case Studies page).

In addition to dealing with the effects of violence at work, The Red Poppy Company can also help organisations produce the policies and infrastructure necessary to minimise the threat and impact of future workplace violence.

For more detailed information on the services provided by the Red Poppy Company go to the Services on Offer page.