Security guards as victims of violence: using organisational support theory to understand how support for victims could have positive implications for the security industry

Abstract

Although it has been acknowledged that security guards are at high risk of becoming victims of violence, little previous research has considered (a) what support is provided for victims and (b) how a lack of adequate provision could have negative impacts on both security guards and the security industry. The paper focuses on data collected with retail security guards working in the United Kingdom through 488 online surveys and 20 face-to-face interviews. We outline the sources of support respondents would like to see and through the gaze of organisational support theory identify how inadequate support can generate negative emotions, a lack of loyalty towards employers and a lack of work motivation. We conclude that while international research across larger samples of security guards might help to build a more composite picture of the support needs of victimised security guards, the findings of this study have important implications for the security industry and pave the way for a potentially important body of research.