s/o: Have you ever been hit or assaulted at work?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I've been "hit on", sexually harassed, yelled at and had people be obnoxious but have never been hit. I've worked in a number of male dominated fields (like engineering) and to the best of my knowledge none of the men have ever been hit either. Obviously this is a spin-off of the detention thread.

[Aubrey]

Yes, in fact, but only as a teacher! LOL And in my case, the admin treated me about like they'd treat one of the kids--FIRST question: "Did YOU TOUCH him?"

 

I'm 5'2 or 3 on a good day; he was a 3rd yr freshman football player.

 

Second question: "Why didn't you call his parents?" (In the middle of class while the thing was happening. But if you really want to know the answer, it's because I was accidentally issued a student laptop instead of a teacher laptop, so I don't have any phone #s TO call if I wanted to.)

 

I'd sort-of expected to be asked if I was ok. Instead, I got railed for sending him to the office.

 

Later, another student shoved a kid in the hallway so hard, the kid who was shoved got knocked into me, & I knocked a bookcase over. When the shoving kid got sent to the principal, she proceeded to knock over more furniture, cussing on her way out.

 

Per the parent's request, I was investigated for MY actions in the situation. :lol: Luckily, when they asked my students what happened, they got a much worse story than the one I'd written on the referral. The student was transferred to another teacher (per parent's request), where she subsequently got suspended for assaulting the teacher.

 

Why the same treatment wasn't applied to me? I was a first yr teacher, so clearly everything in my classroom was my fault. :001_huh:

[swellmomma]

Yes but not by a co-worker. I worked in long term care and had patients with dementia, and let's just say no matter how old those folks get they still pack a mean punch when they are confused that way.

[beachrose]

Yes when I worked I had to deal with a lot of sexual advances some from married men. Thankfully I was a super naive kid and didn't usually realize till later what they "meant". By then they realized I wasn't that kind of girl it's so annoying to watch my daughter having to deal with some of these issues and now I can see it. We've been chasing away the boys since she was a young girl ( We hope she will be like my husband and I ,we had our first kiss at the altar). I think for some people it's just something you have to deal with and I'm going to teach my daughter to be more aware then I was. I'm glad that the law is now proactive about these issues.

[Saille]

Yes, I've been sexually assaulted...I was the one who did the hitting. A boss grabbed my behind. I told him I'd slap him if he ever did it again. He did it again. I slapped him. Needless to say, I didn't work there long. :D

 

Also, when I taught full time I worked with students with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED). Getting assaulted at work was just part of the job.

[Slartibartfast]

I have bartended :lol:

 

If someone hit me there would have been a riot. But ya I was hit on lots. I hit a customer who grabbed my butt.

[Mrs Mungo]

I've been "hit on", sexually harassed, yelled at and had people be obnoxious but have never been hit. I've worked in a number of male dominated fields (like engineering) and to the best of my knowledge none of the men have ever been hit either. Obviously this is a spin-off of the detention thread.

 

I got hit on at work (in pretty much every job I've ever had) but I was never hit. When I worked retail in college the manager of another store was slapped by an angry customer. When our manager told us about it, the other girl I worked with said "I would have pressed charges!" but I said "I would have come across that counter." Probably a really, really good thing nobody ever hit me.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Yeah, I was hit by a kid I was tutoring who had ODD. I don't think that's what you mean, though, if this is a s/o off that thread.

[TravelingChris]

No, never. I worked in movie theater, telemarketing, mail room, library, and law enforcement. My dh who also has never been hit has worked in a 7-11 type store, library, research lab, opinion research center, bookstore, and the military.

[Crimson Wife]

When my DH was an Army officer, he once witnessed one of his soldiers decking one of the NCO's. It turned into a huge mess because my DH then had to testify at the guy's court martial for assaulting a superior. :rolleyes:

Edited February 23, 2010 by Crimson Wife
edited to fix typo

[tadbhoward]

Yes. In college I worked the drive thru at the McDonald's. It was during a BOGO Big Mac event and people were ordering 20+ Big Macs at a time. I was alone in a little closet type room (the food came over a conveyor belt) and there was a burst pipe so I was standing on bread boxes. The line was down the street about a quarter mile. The lady was so mad that I didn't have straws that she came out, walked around the van, leaned in the window and slapped me across the face. I quit 10 minutes later as the manager was screaming at me for slapping the customer while I was getting straws. She had came in and reported that I had slapped her and wanted to call the cops.

[Spy Car]

No. But while working as a bar-tender in Berkeley during my college days I did have to tackle Huey Newton (Black Panther co-founder), as one night Mr Newton became engaged in fisticuffs with my employer.

 

Luckily for my boss, who was about to get his a**-kicked, I played a lot of football, and came flying over the bar with a rather spectacular (if I don't say so myself :D) flying tackle, and removed the threat.

 

Bill

[Saille]

No. But while working as a bar-tender in Berkeley during my college days I did have to tackle Huey Newton (Black Panther co-founder), as one night Mr Newton became engaged in fisticuffs with my employer.

 

Luckily for my boss, who was about to get his a**-kicked, I played a lot of football, and came flying over the bar with a rather spectacular (if I don't say so myself :D) flying tackle, and removed the threat.

 

Bill

 

I cannot believe you get a famous person story AND a fight story in the SAME story!

[kalanamak]

I cannot believe you get a famous person story AND a fight story in the SAME story!

 

 

Actually, he may just be a homebound homunculus who loves leading us on.

[mom2jjka]

Repeatedly - when I worked in the 2-3 yr old room at a daycare center. (I got kicked and bit, too.)

But never by an adult.

[Saille]

Actually, he may just be a homebound homunculus who loves leading us on.

 

He did once admit to sharing my love of coffee...if that's not leading someone on, I don't know what is! (Other than claiming to be qualified to administer a coffee IV.)

[chaik76]

I was in an office once when someone threatened another co-worker with a knife. This was a publishing house!!!!

 

And I once had a knife brandished at me when I was working as a waitress.

[Saille]

I was in an office once when someone threatened another co-worker with a knife. This was a publishing house!!!!

 

Did someone use an apostrophe to pluralize?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ok - I was assaulted with a knife when I taught high school and at another high school an autistic girl who was bigger than I was tried to drown me in the pool. And when I volunteered at a nursing home I often had to rescue other volunteers who were grabbed by some very strong elderly men with dementia. But I meant hit or assaulted by a co-worker!

[Mrs Mungo]

Did someone use an apostrophe to pluralize?

 

I might brandish a knife on someone if they did it often enough and I worked in a publishing house. :tongue_smilie:

[Saille]

I might brandish a knife on someone if they did it often enough and I worked in a publishing house. :tongue_smilie:

 

That's just what I said to myself. I said, "I know who might brandish a knife in a publishing house..."

 

Jean, my boss assaulted me, then I assaulted him. I like to think it was a nice lesson in vicious cycles. But he was a good-looking guy, so he probably just found some girl who didn't object to grab instead.

[Karen in CO]

I didn't get hit, but a customer threatened to throw me out a fifth floor window. I've been back-stabbed, but in a figurative way not literal.

[Garga]

This reminded me of the time when my sil confronted a shoplifter and the shoplifter smashed my sil's wrist in the door.

 

Sil called my bil and said, "I was assaulted at work today!!!"

 

Bil said, "Ok. So what?"

 

Turns out he thought she said, "I was insulted at work today."

 

We've never let him live it down.

[Mrs Mungo]

This reminded me of the time when my sil confronted a shoplifter and the shoplifter smashed my sil's wrist in the door.

 

Sil called my bil and said, "I was assaulted at work today!!!"

 

Bil said, "Ok. So what?"

 

Turns out he thought she said, "I was insulted at work today."

 

We've never let him live it down.

 

Some men truly are under-reactors. The last time my dh was deployed someone busted down my next-door neighbor's door. My dh's response was "do you have shotgun shells? Yes? OK then."

[Retired]

kicked

punched

burned by cigarette

stabbed with a needle

almost got stabbed with scissors

grabbed and pinched all the time

 

All the above from patients through the years

 

Had a MD from Chile think it was appropriate to pat my ass if I was bent over a patient and he was always trying to touch me

 

He got back kicked in a delicate area and finally got the picture.:D

 

Nursing can be a very dangerous job:lol:

[Parrothead]

Surprisingly enough I was never hit, even when I was a cop.

[Ravin]

I've been verbally assaulted by a customer (as in yelling at the top of her lungs and threatening me), but never hit, and certainly never by a co-worker.

[elizabeth]

I took a punch in the jaw at the courthouse from one of dh clients . It hurt .

She meant to hit the plaintiff who was hiding like a coward behind me. I also had a criminal defendant raise his voice at me and pound his fist on my desk. He found out that was a very bad idea. I called him everything under the sun and and refused to represent him. Punk . Several years ago a client went off her meds , smoked some meth for a few days and showed up at our home(law office and home in Victorian era bldg) 7 am with a butcher knife in one hand pounding on the door with the other. I hid under the desk so she could not see me and called 911. That was scary. Fortunately it has been a quiet couple of years.Knock on wood.

Edited February 23, 2010 by elizabeth
cannot type

[Jean in Newcastle]

That's just what I said to myself. I said, "I know who might brandish a knife in a publishing house..."

 

Jean, my boss assaulted me, then I assaulted him. I like to think it was a nice lesson in vicious cycles. But he was a good-looking guy, so he probably just found some girl who didn't object to grab instead.

 

I'm sorry that happened to you. All the sexual harassment I've received on the job has been only verbal. (I've been assaulted off the job but that's a whole 'nuther story.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh - and I've had two verbal "knock down drag down" fights at the engineering firm where I used to work. Once with a co-worker, once with a boss. My boss (a former army sergeant) was yelling "If you were in the army". . . I yelled back, "I'm not in the army. . ." Everyone was crowded around the door waiting to see me fired. Paradoxically, after that fight he always asked for me to be assigned to his projects. And the co-worker who I fought with, became a good buddy and we used to go out to lunch all the time after that!

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

Yes and yes. I'm an RN.

[gaillardia]

Yes. When I was about 18 I complimented the sports editor at the paper where I worked about the length of his eyelashes. When I turned around to walk away he kicked me in the rear end. He thought I was insulting him and insinuating same gender preference. I cried, and if I'd known my rights.......

[Sonshine]

I work with autistic kids and have been hit, kicked, pulled down to the ground and am frequently spat upon. Thankfully, most of my kids don't actually hurt me - they just put up enough of a fight to get out of what I want them to do. I am concerned that out of instinct I may someday do something to protect myself and get sued over it.

[angela in ohio]

I was harrassed by a woman who wanted to go out with me when I was a bank teller. :confused: She was eventually asked not to come to my window anymore by the branch manager.

 

A man who was on the board at the children's theater group that I worked as secretary at used to bother me. After one very public incident, they decided he shouldn't be around children and banned him. Eventually, he worked his way back in, so I quit.

[Aubrey]

Ok - I was assaulted with a knife when I taught high school and at another high school an autistic girl who was bigger than I was tried to drown me in the pool. And when I volunteered at a nursing home I often had to rescue other volunteers who were grabbed by some very strong elderly men with dementia. But I meant hit or assaulted by a co-worker!

 

Yeah, I kind-of figured that's what you meant, but I thought it might be pertinent that *being in a ps* = assault. I mean, if most people (as I was guessing) have never been assaulted at work, what does it say that students & teachers both regularly experience such?

 

One of the differences is that in the workforce, a person w/ a criminal record is less likely to be working beside you. In a ps, that's just a fact most of the time. The way the law works (here), if a student is assaulted by another student, admins have to *try* to keep the students out of the same classes. But if it's not possible? You could be required to attend Biology w/ the guy who raped you.

 

Of course, teachers have it a lot better than students. The worst they can do to you if you quit mid-year is revoke your license (which you're probably still paying for, lol). Students so rarely have choices--about their school life OR home life.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yeah, I kind-of figured that's what you meant, but I thought it might be pertinent that *being in a ps* = assault. I mean, if most people (as I was guessing) have never been assaulted at work, what does it say that students & teachers both regularly experience such?

 

One of the differences is that in the workforce, a person w/ a criminal record is less likely to be working beside you. In a ps, that's just a fact most of the time. The way the law works (here), if a student is assaulted by another student, admins have to *try* to keep the students out of the same classes. But if it's not possible? You could be required to attend Biology w/ the guy who raped you.

 

Of course, teachers have it a lot better than students. The worst they can do to you if you quit mid-year is revoke your license (which you're probably still paying for, lol). Students so rarely have choices--about their school life OR home life.

 

Interestingly enough, one of the places I taught was a school for juvenile offenders. I loved teaching there. It was the safest place I ever taught! In the "regular" classes (lowest offenders) you had a panic button by your desk. There were very clear rules and there were clear consequences. In the class that was the next step up you had a panic button around your neck. Again clear rules and consequences. The next step up you had a panic button necklace and cc tv taping your class (watched live by someone). The murder ward had a panic button necklace, cc tv and a guard by your side! Needless to say, I was never assaulted there. And the kids were really interested in learning. Perhaps because school provided an interesting environment/diversion for them.

[WiseOwlKnits]

Yes, I've been assaulted. More than once...but they were all by students. I had a group of students (who I didn't even know and weren't mine!) spray caustic bathroom cleaner in my eyes when I went in the girls' bathroom at the wrong minute. I've been hit, kicked, punched, had threats of bodily injury, had my car scratched, and had money stolen from my LOCKED jacket closet. The sad part is that I was a really popular teacher too. But I taught in a low socio-economic area where the bad kids are BAD.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I've been "hit on", sexually harassed, yelled at and had people be obnoxious but have never been hit. I've worked in a number of male dominated fields (like engineering) and to the best of my knowledge none of the men have ever been hit either. Obviously this is a spin-off of the detention thread.

 

I had one chief engineer in the Navy with a nasty temper. He would throw phones and staplers. I once saw him grab another officer around the neck.

 

One of my great regrets in life is that I never filed a formal complaint against him. Everyone was so very afraid of the repercussions of ticking him off or of not getting top cover from the commanding officer. There was one profane verbal dressing down he gave to one of my enlisted sailors in a passageway full of other people that clearly crossed the line. Unfortunately I let the sailor in question talk me out of making the complaint. I should have been in the CO's office within the first few minutes and gone over to the staff if I didn't get heard out.

 

It still bugs me that I didn't do what I could to make sure that this man's career ended right then and there.

[asta]

Hmmm...

 

I got the living sh!t beat out of me for being, well, an aspie, in grade school, but that doesn't count.

 

At work? The standard sexual harassment, assault, etc. of the military (I'm old - it hasn't always been so "gender friendly"). But I got in a couple of good punches myself.

 

I worked at a big warehouse club at one point and there was a guy who had harassed every woman there. Everyone complained, mgt would do nothing. One day, he had a steady stream of invectives for me for about an hour. I was crouched down working to his left, stood up in a kind of "round kick", but with my left arm, caught him between the shoulder blades, and laid him out flat.

 

I lost my job (I was still on probation, so I could be released for any reason), but earned the eternal gratitude of every woman there.

 

He was subsequently fired for rape.

 

 

a

[Catherine]

I've been hit by patients. It's an occupational hazard.

[eternalknot]

I've been "hit on", sexually harassed, yelled at and had people be obnoxious but have never been hit. I've worked in a number of male dominated fields (like engineering) and to the best of my knowledge none of the men have ever been hit either. Obviously this is a spin-off of the detention thread.

 

 

I haven't been hit. I've been bitten, shoved and grabbed forcefully; I also get people in my face, shouting. My field is female-dominated, and in the realm of customer service. I'm 5'1, Asian, and very non-confrontational; and so, people take me for the easy scapegoat - even when I have not been directly involved in the given situation.

[Aubrey]

Ok - I was assaulted with a knife when I taught high school and at another high school an autistic girl who was bigger than I was tried to drown me in the pool. And when I volunteered at a nursing home I often had to rescue other volunteers who were grabbed by some very strong elderly men with dementia. But I meant hit or assaulted by a co-worker!

 

Hmm...would parents of students count for a teacher? Because I did have one burst into my classroom after hrs, knock furniture over on her way to my desk, while yelling obscenities at me.

 

As far as panic buttons go, we had telephones, so in the above case, there was no time to call anyone. I only tried to call the police officer to my classroom once or twice, but I never had one come. I was told simply that they were busy. :001_huh:

[chaik76]

Did someone use an apostrophe to pluralize?

:lol:

[fishmummy]

I once had an angry customer throw a textbook at me when we would not take it back as a return after a year...she didn't hit me,but came close.

 

wendy

[fishmummy]

I was in the Navy for several years and was hit on regularly. The weirdest thing is that I knew most of their wives...the single sailors were more afraid of being turned in for sexual harrassment. I guess the old,fat married guys didn't think anyone would believe you if you turned them in...

 

wendy

[MomtoCandJ]

I have had pecans, staplers, check stampers, bags of change, keys and books thrown at me. I work at a gas station where all the pumps are prepay because we had a bunch of drive offs, a book was thrown at me when I was pregnant with dd, a corner of the book hit me hard in the abdomen. I did call the cops but they said that they had higher priority things to do then get a guy who threw a book at a pregnant cashier :(. Luckily I had lots of concerned customers who chased the guy down and beat the snot out of him and I had an appointment the next morning to make sure dd was ok.

[Guest Carl1234]

I read a bunch of the responses to this thread hoping to find someone with a similar set of circumstances but found none. When I was 19 years old I was working as a cashier at Kohl's Department Stores. I had only been working there for 3 weeks and was still perfecting my skills. One day, I was assigned to go around the store checking the tags on the clothing. This was until I heard over the intercom that one of the cashier's needed help up front because the line was long. I casually walk up there to find a long line of people scowling at me. I begin to check the upset customers out by moving as quickly as possible (a technique I had begun to develop trying to impress people with my speed), when a middle-aged latino woman and her husband who did not speak english himself come up. I begin to check them out when I notice she was staring at me. She stops me halfway through, and asks if, "I'm tired." Keep in mind this was in a condescending tone. I calmly stated, "Yes I'm a little tired" and smiled hoping that she would not get angry. She then began to yell at her husband in spanish and gestured with her hands imitating the way I was checking her out without looking up. I finished checking her out, calmly stated the total price with a humble smile. She slowly handed me the cash, and wrote my name down on the receipt. I was only 19 and not very experienced, but I got the feeling that she was being rude to me because she thought I was being racist (which I wasn't). This offended me greatly as I felt like she was looking down on me for being white, and I tossed the bag of clothes she bought up onto the counter (not aggressively) but I let her know I was offended. Her husband, who apparently could not think for himself, then took up the bag, threw it at my feet and said something in spanish. I then turned my head to complete the purchase on the register and was ready to turn back around to pick up the bag and hand it to them when, WHAM, the woman who was heavy set hits me across the face with all her strength. In shock, I yelled, "What was that!?" Picked up the bag and handed it to the man who snatched it out of my hand while hitting my arm. I put my hands up and said, "I'm sorry" over and over again (which I wasn't). She demanded to speak to the manager, to which I said, "Would you like me to get the manager for you?" and picked up the phone. Her husband then forced her out the building screaming and cursing.

 

I'm 27 now and my only regret was that I apologized and did not lay down the law. Assault plain and simple. I remember being in complete shock and because of my age did not have the confidence to react like a strong, adult male when this happened. At the same time I specifically remember choosing not to pursue them into the parking lot so I could press charges but just wanted them to leave. The next woman in line then asked me if I was okay. I quit 5 minutes later.

[Heather in Neverland]

Yes. I taught high school in Detroit. I was assaulted, harrassed, threatened. You name it.

[mommymilkies]

Yes. I worked in the hospital-med/surg. I was hit many times, mostly by drunk or senile patients. My worst was a man in his right mind that grabbed my crotch and boob and tried to force himself on me. And then I GOT IN TROUBLE for saying NO forcefully and leaving the room. "It was rude" he complained to his wife (!!!) who complained to the floor nurse. The nurse agreed with me, but I got in trouble with administration.

[Denisemomof4]

Heavens no!!!!