Physical Intimidation Research Articles

Changing attitudes about workplace violence: Improving safety in an acute care environment.

The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace violence (WPV) as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. OSHA recognizes that WPV ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. There are no OSHA standards specifically related to WPV however the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act of 1970, requires employers to provide a workplace that is free of conditions that could cause death or serious harm to employees. The Joint Commission published standards in 2022 related to WPV. The standards require a proactive analysis of the organization relative to WPV. Monitoring of events and training of staff are also required. This article will explore one hospital's journey to understand the frequency and types of violence experienced by nurses in the facility; implement evidence-based strategies to mitigate violence in the hospital; maintain compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies; and most importantly, to protect our staff from harm.

The impact of an autonomy supportive versus a controlling coaching environment on surgical skill acquisition for novice trainees

Sports psychology literature often defines coaching environments in two ways: autonomy supportive (ASE) and controlling environment (CE). An ASE offers the trainee a degree of choice, positive reinforcement, and approachability. CE coaching provides prescriptive instructions with no choice, neglects positive reinforcement, and involves physical and/or vocal intimidation. The literature suggests that ASE conditions improve motor skills learning compared to controlling conditions; this has not been studied in surgical education. Medical students (n = 46) who were novices at laparoscopic surgical skills were randomly assigned to four groups based on the type of environment (ASE vs CE) and who initiated the feedback (trainee vs coach). Participants watched an instructional video in their coaching environment, performed a pre-test, underwent 80 min of coaching on the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery intra-corporeal suturing task, and then completed a post-test (PT). A resident and senior medical student served as coaches following ASE or CE coaching scripts. Time, errors, score, and amount of feedback for each practice trial were recorded. The coach was blinded to the score of each trial and the data were recorded by the assistant. A post-test survey was performed. Participants returned within a week to perform a retention test (RT). Results were analyzed with a 2 × 2 (environment x feedback controller) factorial ANOVA test. Post-test scores revealed a main effect of environment (p < 0.001). Similarly, on the retention test scores, a 2 × 2 factorial ANOVA revealed a main effect of environment (p = 0.002). Trainees in ASE conditions achieved significantly higher post-test and retention test scores. Neither the main effect of feedback controller nor the interaction between environment and feedback controller was significant. The ASE cohorts had higher positive affect scores (p = 0.009). Across all conditions, participants completed between 7 and 13 practice trials during the 80-min training session (mean = 8.8 ± 1.2). This 2 × 2 ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of feedback initiator (p = 0.008). Participants assigned to conditions in which the coach initiated the feedback performed significantly more trials than participants in the environments where they initiated feedback (9.3 ± 0.9 vs 8.5 ± 1.3). Neither the main effect of coaching environment nor the interaction between coaching environment and feedback initiator was significant. In novice trainees, an autonomy supportive coaching environment improves surgical skill acquisition and retention along with trainee-reported attitudes toward the learning environment when compared to a controlling coaching environment.

Horizontal Violence Toward Emergency Medicine Residents: Gender as a Risk Factor.

IntroductionHorizontal violence (HV) is defined as “persistent exposure to interpersonal aggression and mistreatment from colleagues.” Our objective in this pilot, single-site study was to identify sources of HV toward emergency medicine (EM) residents, using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R).MethodsIn this investigation we used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to categorize HV. All voluntary participants were residents in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved, three-year academic EM residency. Data were collected via electronic survey and occurred six months into an academic year. We collected demographic information and responses to the NAQ-R in 2020. Horizontal violence is subdivided into three categories: work-related; person-related; and physical intimidation. Emergency medicine residents answered questions as they related to their interactions with residents and support staff, which included nursing.ResultsA total of 23 of 26 residents responded (89%). Participants were 56% women, 78% white, 11% Hispanic, and 89% heterosexual. Participant clinical year was 39% first-, 39% second-, and 22% third-year residents. Women reported a higher frequency of HV compared to men (1.3 vs 1.1, P =.01). By category, women indicated higher incidence of work-related violence from other residents (P = .05) and staff (P =.02). There was no difference in reported frequency of violence for interns compared to senior residents.ConclusionOur pilot study demonstrated horizontal violence toward EM residents exists and is more prevalent in women.

’To be honest, I’m really scared’: perceptions and experiences of intimidation in the LMIC-based tobacco control community

BackgroundIt is well-evidenced that environmental or human rights advocacy comes with risks for those involved. Much less is known about the risks of tobacco control advocacy despite the emphasis on...

Nearly One-Fourth of Physicians in Large Academic Medical Center Experienced Mistreatment

Nearly One-Fourth of Physicians in Large Academic Medical Center Experienced Mistreatment

Assessment of Bias in Patient Safety Reporting Systems Categorized by Physician Gender, Race and Ethnicity, and Faculty Rank

Patient safety reporting systems (PSRSs) are designed to decrease the risk of harm to patients due to medical errors. Owing to the voluntary nature of PSRSs, implicit bias of the reporter may affect the management of safety events reported. Stanford Alert For Events (SAFE) is the PSRS used at Stanford Health Care. To examine whether variation exists in the content of SAFE reports based on demographic characteristics of physicians who are the subject of the event report. This retrospective qualitative analysis from a single academic medical center evaluated SAFE reports from March 2011 to February 2020. Event reports were coded by theme and categorized by severity (scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the lowest and 3 the highest). The reports were then analyzed from October 2020 to February 2022 and categorized by physician gender, race and ethnicity, and faculty rank. A total of 501 patient safety events were collected from the adult hospital during the study period, and 100 were excluded owing to incompleteness of information. This qualitative study had no planned outcome. A qualitative analysis was performed on 401 reports representing 187 physicians (138 [73.8%] male and 49 [26.2%] female). In terms of race and ethnicity, 4 physicians (2.1%) were African American, 49 (26.2%) were Asian; 7 (3.7%), Hispanic or Latinx; 108 (57.7%), White; and 19 (10.2%), declined to state. Female physicians had disproportionate representation among reports referencing communication and conversational issues and the lowest severity level. Male physicians had disproportionate representation for ignoring or omitting procedures, process issues, and physical intimidation. African American physicians had disproportionate representation for lack of communication and process issues. Asian physicians had disproportionate representation for lack of communication, process issues, conversational conduct, and the lowest severity level. Latinx physicians had disproportionate representation for conversational conduct. White physicians had disproportionate representation for ignoring or omitting procedures, verbal abuse, physical intimidation, and the highest severity level. In this qualitative study, female physicians and physicians who were members of racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to be reported for low-severity communication issues compared with their male and White counterparts, respectively. These findings suggest that there may be a lower threshold for reporting events when the subject of the report is female and/or a member of a racial or ethnic minority group. Restructuring the reporting and management of patient safety events may be needed to facilitate conflict resolution in a manner that reduces implicit bias and fosters team cohesion.

The People's Revolt: Texas Populists and the Rise of American Liberalism

The People's Revolt: Texas Populists and the Rise of American Liberalism

Examining the Relationship between Mobbing and Organizational Cynicism

In this study, the relations between the experience level of bullying behaviors and organizational cynicism are explored, using the views of teachers. The study group comprised 235 teachers working in state secondary schools in the Meram municipality of Konya during the 2017–2018 academic year. The Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised and Organizational Cynicism Scale were used to collect the data. In this descriptive study, standard deviation, mean, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analyses were used in the analysis of the data. It was observed that the levels of exposure to mobbing behavior and organizational cynicism of the participants in the study were low. It was furthermore shown that the dimensions (personal bullying, work-related bullying, and physical intimidation) of negative act questionnaire-revised have a positive and significant relation with all dimensions of organizational cynicism scale. According to the results of regression analysis, it was determined that the cognitive and affective dimensions of organizational cynicism scale are significantly and positively predicted by the personal bullying and work-related bullying dimensions of negative act questionnaire-revised, and all dimensions of negative act questionnaire-revised predict the behavioral dimension of organizational cynicism at a significant level. According to the results obtained from the research, as the levels of teachers’ exposure to mobbing behaviors decrease, their organizational cynicism levels also decrease. Exposure to mobbing behaviors has a strong predictive effect on organizational cynicism.

Gloria Richardson, Armed Self-Defense, and Black Liberation in Cambridge, Maryland

Despite a growing body of scholarship on the importance of armed resistance during the Civil Rights Movement, women’s participation in armed resistance plays little or no role in most histories of this controversial aspect of the struggle. But Black women’s contributions—as theorists, leaders, and actors—are key for rethinking the importance of armed resistance to the movement. Black women responded to the brutal violence that served as a tool for the psychological and physical intimidation of those who challenged white supremacy. I argue that Black women’s practice and philosophy of armed resistance was rooted in tradition that extended from freedom fighters like Harriet Tubman to women who were activists and leaders in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. This article examines Gloria Richardson and the movement for economic equality in Cambridge, Maryland, analyzing why she and those she led rejected nonviolence as the sole tactic or strategy for achieving their goals.

How did the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic affect urology practice in Arab countries? A cross-sectional study by the Arab Association of Urology research group.

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess of the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on urology practice in the Arab world during the first year of the crisis.Methods:An Internet-based questionnaire was created and sent out via email to members of the Arab Association of Urology (AAU) using ‘Google Forms’. The survey assessed participants’ demographics in terms of age, gender, country of origin, type of practice and position. Impacts of COVID-19 on urological practice were assessed in terms of the changes in hospital policies regarding consultations, and elective and emergency surgical cases. Moreover, impacts of COVID-19 on urologists were assessed.Results:A total of 255 AAU members across 14 Arab countries (Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Sudan and Syria) completed the survey; 4% were female urologists. Consultations at outpatient clinics were closed or restricted to emergency cases or replaced by telemedicine in almost 15%, 40% and 25% of hospitals, respectively. Elective surgeries were stopped or reduced to under 25% of surgical capacity in >10% and about 25% of hospitals, respectively. Almost 90% (228) reported changes in the policy for emergency theatres. Nearly 65% of hospitals offered preoperative COVID-19 testing to patients and 50% of hospitals provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to their urologists. Of 99% (253) who reported a change in urological education, 95% relied on online webinars. About 56% of respondents had their own private practice, of whom 91% continued private practice during the crisis. About 38% of participants reported exposure to intimidation (75% emotional, 20% verbal and 5% physical).Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major changes in hospitals’ policies regarding outpatient consultations, elective and emergency operative cases, and the shift to telemedicine. Arab urologists have been facing major challenges either in both the governmental or the private sectors, and some of them were exposed to emotional, verbal and even physical intimidation.

Workplace bullying in surgical environments in Saudi Arabia: A multiregional cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND:Workplace bullying (WPB) is any sort of repeated and unjustified verbal, sexual, or physical intimidation that a person is exposed to by a group or another person in the workplace. In healthcare environments, practitioners are occasionally victims of WPB incidents. Bullying in surgical environments is an important issue that needs attention as it could affect patient care either directly or indirectly. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of bullying in surgical environments in multiple regions in Saudi Arabia.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study was conducted among surgeons, trainees, interns, nurses, and students in surgical specialties in multiple Saudi regions. The survey was designed by Survey Monkey and posted online. The data were analyzed through SPSS Version-21 by computing descriptive statistics as frequency and percentages with graph construction.RESULTS:About two-thirds (65.2%) of the 788 study participants were male and were between the age of 20 and 29 years (67.8%). Consultants came first as perpetrators of bullying in the past 12 months (44.3%) and residents and interns were the major victims. The NAQ-R score ranged from 22.00 to 110.00, with a mean score of 42.47 (SD=17.9). Statistically significant association was found between mean NAQ-R score and age (P = 0.007), specialty (P = 0.002), and position (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:WPB is a pervasive problem in surgical environments in multiple regions of Saudi Arabia. Consultants and specialists are the primary offenders in bullying, which makes the hospital an environment for bullying behaviors.

Exposed and alone: torture survivors in Sri Lanka bear the burden of their own protection

Within a history and context of torture practised by state agents in Sri Lanka, this article discusses in relation to victims of torture who engaged with complaint mechanisms, the threats faced, the responses received from complaint mechanisms, and what victims and their families actually did to secure protection. The article is an analysis of the threats of fabricated criminal charges, personal and social humiliation, and physical threat and intimidation in retaliation to lodging of complaints against perpetrators and the strategies of aggression and mobilising social connections that are utilised.

Association of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Violence Perpetration in Adults and Adolescents From 15 Countries

Violence perpetration outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders contribute to morbidity and mortality at a population level, disrupt care, and lead to stigma. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the risk of perpetrating interpersonal violence in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared with general population control individuals. Multiple databases were searched for studies in any language from January 1970 to March 2021 using the terms violen* or homicid* and psychosis or psychoses or psychotic or schizophren* or schizoaffective or delusional and terms for mental disorders. Bibliographies of included articles were hand searched. The study included case-control and cohort studies that allowed risks of interpersonal violence perpetration and/or violent criminality in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders to be compared with a general population group without these disorders. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and the Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) proposal. Two reviewers extracted data. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. The main outcome was violence to others obtained either through official records, self-report and/or collateral-report, or medical file review and included any physical assault, robbery, sexual offenses, illegal threats or intimidation, and arson. The meta-analysis included 24 studies of violence perpetration outcomes in 15 countries over 4 decades (N = 51 309 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders; reported mean age of 21 to 54 years at follow-up; of those studies that reported outcomes separately by sex, there were 19 976 male individuals and 14 275 female individuals). There was an increase in risk of violence perpetration in men with schizophrenia and other psychoses (pooled odds ratio [OR], 4.5; 95% CI, 3.6-5.6) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 85%; 95% CI, 77-91). The risk was also elevated in women (pooled OR, 10.2; 95% CI, 7.1-14.6), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 66%; 95% CI, 31-83). Odds of perpetrating sexual offenses (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 3.8-6.8) and homicide (OR, 17.7; 95% CI, 13.9-22.6) were also investigated. Three studies found increased relative risks of arson but data were not pooled for this analysis owing to heterogeneity of outcomes. Absolute risks of violence perpetration in register-based studies were less than 1 in 20 in women with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and less than 1 in 4 in men over a 35-year period. This systematic review and meta-analysis found that the risk of perpetrating violent outcomes was increased in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared with community control individuals, which has been confirmed in new population-based longitudinal studies and sibling comparison designs.

Racial Attacks during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Politicizing an Epidemic Crisis on Longstanding Racism and Misinformation, Disinformation, and Misconception

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic crisis has affected everyone's life on a daily basis for more than a year. However, some racial groups have experienced a double pandemic, that of COVID‐19 and racist attacks incorrectly tied to the pandemic. Harassment and physical intimidation were the source of many anti‐Asian attacks. The number of unarmed black people assaulted and killed by police almost tripled during 2020 when compared 2019. In this panel, we will attempt to analyze recent racial attacks in terms of malinformation, such as misinformation, disinformation, or shallow, historical stereotypes of ethnic minorities as another layer of the pandemic originating with racism or inflamed grievances. The panelists will discuss the proposed topic drawing from each panelist's expertise and an interactive discussion with the audience will follow after each panelist's presentation. Members and attendees at ASIS&amp;T who have an interest in the spread of dis‐ and misinformation via social media and politicizing the pandemic crisis will find our topics useful to their research.

Kebangkitan Konservatisme Islam: Politik Identitas dan Potret Demokrasi di Indonesia

Leonard C. Sebastian, Syafiq Hasyim and Alexander R. Arifianto (eds). 2021. Rising Islamic Conservatism in Indonesia: Islamic Groups and Identity Politics. London and New York: Routledge.This volume discusses the rise of Islamic conservatism in Indonesia that is opposed to the values of pluralism, tolerance, and religious freedom. The authors argue that Islamic conservatism presents an enormous challenge to Indonesia as a multi-religious country that adversely affects its social, cultural, and political situations. They are concerned that Islamic conservatism may distance Indonesia from religious inclusion, and in fact, it may bring the country closer to religious exclusion. They are also worried that religious intolerance is increasingly on the rise, as shown in the cases of the prohibition of the establishment of churches in Muslim neighbourhood, the abuse of the blasphemy law to punish minority groups, the establishment of exclusive ‘sharia’ housing complexes that is intended only for ‘like-minded’ Muslims, and vigilante-style persecutions such as threats, verbal harassment, and physical intimidation against people or groups who are opposed to the perpetrators’ religious views. In addition, the authors also emphasize that there is an ongoing movement among supporters of Islamic conservatism to signify their religious boundaries and at the same time reject those who do not follow their path.

Bullying and cyberbullying: features and ways of preventing

The article is devoted to the topics of bullying and cyberbullying. The results of the questionnaire have been analyzed to further prevent and improve ways of preventing these phenomena. The article gives examples of special diagnostic techniques. Socio-psychological description of the environment in an educational institution can be made using these techniques. The purpose of the article is to highlight the problem of bullying and cyberbullying. According to the results of a questionnaire among pupils and students the article presents the methods which may improve the internal environment in educational institution. It`s proposed to criminalize the use of violence against participants of the educational process. Such acts consist of mental, physical, economic, sexual abuse, including the use of electronic means of communication which committed against a minor or by such a person against other participants of the educational process. These acts of violence lead to the consequences in accordance with Articles 121, 122 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. One of the ways to solve this problem is to develop a plan of action which may prevent acts of bullying and cyberbullying in educational institutions. The authors concluded that bullying and cyberbullying have been spreading widely and have a negative influence on the future of the individual. Due to the growing use of the Internet, online bullying is becoming more and more widespread. While cyberbullying mainly causes moral harm, bullying is usually about physical intimidation and beatings. The article states that parents and teachers should be an example of tolerant behavior, organize various events to bring pupils and teachers closer together. It is necessary to work with a psychologist, involve children in different sections and urge them to do creative work. In this way, respect and benevolence will be promoted. Parents and others, in turn, must pay attention to all forms of violence and bullying against children. Keywords: bullying, cyberbullying, violence, aggressive behavior, Internet network.

Teacher Workplace Bullying: How Pervasive is the Problem?

Bullying in schools is a national problem receiving much needed attention. Teacher workplace bullying is a lesser known but equally debilitating problem. Our purpose in doing this study is to examine the problem of teacher workplace bullying and its effect on teachers, students, and schools. We surveyed 173 general and special education teachers to determine the extent that teachers report workplace bullying by other teachers and administrators. We used the Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised to examine three constructs of workplace bullying—personal, work-related, and physical intimidation. We also examined differences in self-reported workplace bullying between general and special education teachers. Results suggest special education teachers reported a significantly high level of workplace bullying compared with general education teachers. Unsatisfactory administrative support was the most significant factor contributing to workplace dissatisfaction overall. We offer possible starting points to deal with the problem and discuss implications for teachers, students, and the field.

Accounts of Unlawful Use of Force and Misconduct of the Nigerian Police in the Enforcement of COVID-19 Measures.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigeria police was entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating local shutdowns, encouraging social distancing, enforcing stay-at-home mandates, and supervising compulsory wearing of face masks. Drawing from procedural justice theory, this study explored accounts of unlawful use of force, human rights violations, and other police misconducts that resulted from the enforcement of COVID-19 measures. Using a victim-centred approach involving qualitative, in-depth interviews with 71 people, who perceived their encounters with the police enforcing COVID-19 measures as bordering on their rights, were conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives carried out. Participants reported significant variety of police aggression directed towards them: including actual threats of physical violence, hostility, intimidation, extortion, and punishment. Female participants reported incidents of sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, and assault. The study concludes that the militarized option adopted by the police to enforce COVID-19 measures drew deeper divides between the police and communities than previously existed. This stresses the need for Nigeria police to train officers, reprimand erring officers, and deploy procedural justice principles in enforcing COVID-19 measures.

The Political and Economic Dependence of the Press in Macao under Portuguese and Chinese Rule: Continuity and Change

The article analyses the media system in Macao, a special administrative region of China that transitioned from Portuguese to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, becoming one of cities in the world with the largest number of published newspapers per capita. Combining historical research with the analysis of contemporary empirical data collected through interviews with journalists working on the ground, the research demonstrates how there is a long tradition of state control that goes back to the colonial era and that has assumed different forms, ranging from outright censorship to physical intimidation of journalists and economic dependence on the government. Limitations and control strategies imposed on news reporting during the Portuguese administration continue to be practiced today by the Chinese authorities. Even so, journalists operating on the Macao media market tend to overstate the level of freedom they are given, which can be attributed to media outlets being economically dependent on the state. Nevertheless, the level of freedom attributed to the press is today higher than it had been during the colonial period with some critical voices being allowed to reach the media. This needs to be understood in the context of what has been defined as the Chinese safety valve strategy.

Workplace violence in nursing: A concept analysis.

ObjectivesTo clarify the concept of workplace violence in nursing and propose an operational definition of the concept.MethodsThe review method used was Walker and Avant's eight‐step method.ResultsIdentification of the key attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of the concept resulted in an operational definition of the concept. The proposed operational definition identifies workplace violence experienced by nurses as any act or threat of verbal or physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the worksite with the intention of abusing or injuring the target.ConclusionsDeveloping insights into the concept will assist in the design of new research scales that can effectively measure the underlying issues, provide a framework that facilitates nursing interventions, and improve the validity of future studies.