Workplace Violence: A Policy Statement

Alyona works as a bookseller on the third floor of a large bookstore located at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusets. She often works at night (until as late as 10 or 11 p.m.), and she often works alone. At night, the third floor is usually deserted. Many transient and homeless people hang about the Square; most of them are benign, some are not. One late night, Alyona approached a man who seemed to be a customer searching for a book on the shelves. As she approached him, he turned, grabbed her by the throat, and threw her to the ground. He then ran off and out of the store. Though not physically injured, Alyona was, of course, terrified, and the outcome of this incident could have been much worse.