[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 205 (Monday, October 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55045-55046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25649]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-10-09BL]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-5806.
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
The Epidemiology and Impact of Workplace Violence in Pennsylvania
Teachers and Paraprofessionals--NEW--National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant concern for employers and
employees alike; every year in the U.S., WPV results in hundreds of
deaths, nearly two million nonfatal injuries, and billions of dollars
in costs. Historically, the education field has not been the focus of
WPV research; however, the classroom is a workplace too. From 1999 to
2003, teachers were the victims of approximately 183,000 nonfatal
crimes including 119,000 thefts and 65,000 violent crimes such as rape
and assault.
Workplace violence is not limited to physical attacks; verbal
threats, bullying, and harassment also produce psychological harm to
teachers and school staff. A newer form of such violence is that of
electronic aggression. The CDC defines the problem as: ``Any type of
harassment or bullying (teasing, telling lies, making fun of someone,
making rude or mean comments, spreading rumors, or making threatening
or aggressive comments) that occurs through e-mail, a chat room,
instant messaging, a Web site (including blogs) or text messaging.''
While a recent study found that 35% of young people had been the
victims of electronic aggression, the impact of this in the workplace
is relatively unknown. The extant evidence indicates that working in a
school environment carries an excess risk for becoming a victim of some
form of WPV; however, little is known about the incidence or risk
factors for such.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act, Public Law 91-596 (section
20[a][1]) authorizes the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) to conduct research to advance the health and safety of
workers. NIOSH is conducting a population-based, cross-sectional survey
among teachers and paraprofessionals in the State of Pennsylvania. The
goals of this study are (1) Estimate the number and prevalence
proportions (rates) of physical, non-physical, and electronic WPV in
teachers and paraprofessionals in Pennsylvania; (2) Identify the
circumstances and most common risk
[[Page 55046]]
factors for physical, non-physical, and electronic WPV in teachers and
paraprofessionals in Pennsylvania; (3) Measure the impact of WPV on job
satisfaction and quality of life. These goals are solely based on the
State of Pennsylvania and are not based on a nation wide study.
NIOSH is proposing to conduct a population-based, cross-sectional
survey among teachers and paraprofessionals in the State of
Pennsylvania. Paper-and-pencil surveys will be mailed to potential
participants through the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT),
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PA-AFT), and the Pennsylvania
State Education Association (PSEA). Since approximately 90% of teachers
and 65% of paraprofessionals in the State of Pennsylvania hold
membership in one of these three unions and no known State-wide
database exists that includes both teachers and paraprofessionals, a
sample of eligible participants will be drawn using State-based union
records.
A stratified random sample will be drawn to ensure
representativeness on important dimensions such as gender of
participant and urban-rural status of the school district. In
conjunction with each participating union, study packets consisting of
an introduction letter, paper-and-pencil survey, and non-response form
will be mailed to eligible participant's home addresses. The
questionnaire is a paper-and-pencil survey and provides information on
the following categories: demographics, occupation, physical assault
characteristics, non-physical assault characteristics, electronic
aggression characteristics, job satisfaction, and quality of life.
The sample size for the cross-sectional survey is estimated to be
approximately 5,000 teachers and paraprofessionals. This estimate is
based on the number of reported teachers and paraprofessionals
represented by the three unions participating in this study and on an
80% response rate that is comparable to the response rate of previously
conducted surveys in similar populations. Pilot test data demonstrates
that respondents should take approximately 30 minutes to complete the
paper-and-pencil survey, resulting in an annualized burden estimate of
2,500 hours. Participation in the study is completely voluntary.
This survey will also utilize the skills and time of a variety of
union office and administrative staff for the preparation of the survey
packets. The exact number of administrative staff utilized at each
union location, as well as the additional work demands placed on them
has yet to be determined, though our best guess is 13 individuals. It
is estimated that three office support staff from the Pittsburgh
Federation of Teachers, six from the Pennsylvania State Education
Association, and four from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers will
be needed for a grand total of 13 support staff personnel. Additional
work activities could include: Preparation of the sampling frame
database and non-respondent database, printing of mailing labels,
affixation of mailing labels onto survey packets, and e-mail and/or
phone communication with NIOSH. For each mailing, we estimate that each
of the 13 administration assistants will dedicate two hours to the
mailing. So, for each mailing, a grand total of 26 hours will be
burdened. There will be three separate mailings for a grand total
burden of 78 burden hours.
There are no costs to the respondents other than their time. The
total estimated annual burden hours are 2,578.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per
Respondents respondents responses per response (in
respondent hours)
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Elementary and Secondary School Employees....................... 5,000 1 30/60
Office & Administrative Support Occupations..................... 13 3 2
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Dated: October 19, 2009.
Maryam Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-25649 Filed 10-23-09; 8:45 am]
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