Abstract:
Work is vital in the lives of people and it is important that the workplace is as safe as possible. However, there is
an increasing trend of violence of various forms at the workplace. The increasing phenomenon has devastating
consequences on the individual worker and the organisation, as well as witnesses and society at large. Certain
types of violence tend to happen more in specific sectors than others. This paper presented the various
conceptions of workplace violence, the prevalence and potential antecedents. The paper also discussed the
individual and organisational consequences of workplace violence. These consequences could be in the form of
physical harm to the victim, including death, psychological harm and financial. Productivity, work attitude and
corporate image of an organisation could be affected as a result of incidences of workplace violence. Finally,
recommendations for addressing the various kinds of violence and their concomitant consequences are presented.
