Frumple is, unfortunately, correct. When I was assaulted by a coworker in a previous job and tried to report it, my boss gave me two options: I could pursue my complaint, which would likely cause us both to lose our jobs, or I could shut up and we'd both get to keep them.
And that precludes going straight to the police with it as well?
If you want (or, more likely, need) to keep a job, yes. Seriously, if you bring cops into the workplace the management, who decide if you stay on the job are not, are
not going to be happy. They are going to be looking for a way to get rid of the problem, which (
especially by going over their heads and calling in the police) you are part of -- and to a large extent, insofar as
they're concerned, the majority of it. And in the states, they can usually fire you for
no reason. Giving them one is generally not how you keep a job.
S'like. Yeah, you
could go to the cops. Technically. It'd probably end up costing you notable legal fees
and your job. But you could do it. And then lose, y'know, home, health, food, probably a substantial chunk of your hireability, etc., so forth, so on. There's a reason whistleblowers don't do what they do lightly -- anything even remotely resembling it is probably going to shit all over your life. If management doesn't take care of a problem themselves, you're functionally SoL. Lot of times even bringing problems to their attention is risky. Lot of people in management positions haven't internalized the concept of not shooting the messenger.