Area-Based Social Characteristics of Workplace Homicide Risk

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Purpose Community-level factors associated with workplace homicide have not been explored in detail. The aim of our study is to describe socioeconomic (SES) and crime characteristics associated with areas at high-risk for worker homicide. Methods Using GIS methods, North Carolina workplaces were spatially linked to SES data from the census and crime data from law enforcement agencies. Census block groups (n=4076) comprised the unit of analysis and were categorized as being at high (≥ 75 th percentile) or low risk for workplace homicide according to the proportion of workplaces in each block group classified as high-risk for worker homicide (based on pervious research). Separate models were constructed to examine social factors (social organization disruptions and SES advantage) and agency-level crime (index, property and violent) rates, respectively. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results From multivariate models where crime was the primary exposure, violent crime rates > 75 th percentile was associated with block groups at high-risk for workplace homicide (OR=1.48; 95%CI=1.05–2.09). In models examining social organization disruption measures: residential mobility (OR=1.86, 95%CI=1.27–2.72), population density (OR=1.28, 95%CI=1.04–1.58), and low percentages (≤ 25 th percentile) of Black, non-Hispanic (OR=1.36, 95%CI=1.13–1.64) and foreign born (OR=1.40, 95%CI=1.18–1.68) residents were positively associated with high-risk block groups. Level of SES advantage was inversely associated with block groups containing a high proportion of high-risk workplaces (OR=0.57, 95%CI=0.42–0.78). Conclusion Areas with a high violent crime rate, social organization disruption and low SES advantage contain a higher proportion of high-risk workplaces. Elucidating social influences on violence complements current understanding of workplace homicide.