Which statement correctly describes the four common types of workplace violence (Type I–IV) with examples?

Which statement correctly describes the four common types of workplace violence (Type I–IV) with examples?

• A. Type I: Personal relationship; Type II: Employee-to-employee; Type III: Customer; Type IV: Criminal intent.
• B. Type I: Criminal intent (robbery with violence); Type II: Customer or client (violent act by a client); Type III: Employee-to-employee or supervisor-to-subordinate (coworker assault); Type IV: Personal relationship (violence by someone with a personal relationship to an employee).
• C. Type I: Customer or client; Type II: Personal relationship; Type III: Criminal intent; Type IV: Employee-to-employee.
• D. Type I: Employee to manager; Type II: Public crowd; Type III: Random violence; Type IV: Domestic abuse.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding how workplace violence is categorized by who commits it and their relationship to the workplace. The widely used four-type framework defines: Type I as criminal intent, where the offender has no relationship to the workplace (for example, a robbery with violence by an outsider); Type II as violence by a customer or client toward employees; Type III as violence between coworkers or between a supervisor and a subordinate; and Type IV as violence by someone with a personal relationship to an employee (such as a domestic or intimate partner). This description matches the statement that assigns criminal intent to outsiders, identifies violence by a client or customer, covers coworker or supervisor-to-subordinate violence, and includes violence by someone with a personal relationship to the employee. Other options misplace who is involved or introduce nonstandard categories, which don’t align with the established four-type framework.

The main idea here is understanding how workplace violence is categorized by who commits it and their relationship to the workplace. The widely used four-type framework defines: Type I as criminal intent, where the offender has no relationship to the workplace (for example, a robbery with violence by an outsider); Type II as violence by a customer or client toward employees; Type III as violence between coworkers or between a supervisor and a subordinate; and Type IV as violence by someone with a personal relationship to an employee (such as a domestic or intimate partner). This description matches the statement that assigns criminal intent to outsiders, identifies violence by a client or customer, covers coworker or supervisor-to-subordinate violence, and includes violence by someone with a personal relationship to the employee. Other options misplace who is involved or introduce nonstandard categories, which don’t align with the established four-type framework.