The perception of risk in the workplace: A test of routine activity theory

Using the data from a special one-time supplement conducted in conjunction with the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), this article tests the relationship between routine activities and the perception of risk in the workplace. The findings give support to the routine activity theory by showing that factors related to exposure to risk, proximity to potential offenders and target attractiveness are stronger predictors of the perception of risk at the workplace than demographic and socioeconomic variables. The results also indicate that the perception of the workplace as unsafe is very similar for males and females and fairly similar for people in different age categories. There are differences, nonetheless, in the factors that trigger the perception of risk in the workplace between Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics, a comparison that has been scarcely studied.