Employees exposed to work-related threats and violence in human services sectors: Are any employees members particularly exposed to violence and threats and what role do supervisors play?

Abstract

The frequency of being exposed to work-related violence and threats is high in employees working in the human service sector. The question is whether certain employees are particularly exposed to violence and threats than others. This study examined whether particular employees were especially exposed to work-related violence and threats due to personal characteristics, coping styles, attitudes or participating in violence prevention training. We also examined the role played by supervisors. Questionnaire data were collected in 2010 and 2011. In all, 3584 employees from special schools, psychiatric wards, eldercare and the Prison and Probation Service participated. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses. We found persons high on the extroversion and introversion scales were associated with statistical significant increased risk for work-related threats. Furthermore, accepting attitudes concerning work-related violence were also statistical significant associated with increased the risk for both work-related threats and violence. Associations between coping styles and work-related threats and violence were very small and statistically non-significant and we found no effect of violence prevention training. The risk for work-related threats for persons high on the extroversion scale was decreased if supervisor violence prevention behaviour was high. Furthermore, if supervisor prevention behaviour was high, prevention training decreased the risk for work-related violence. However, these associations weren't statistically significant. The results stress that effective prevention requires involvement of both employees and supervisors.