Violence at work: forensic medical examination of police officers assaulted while on duty: comparisons with other groups of workers in two centres of the Paris area, 2010–2012

More Than Just a Scratch: A Scoping Review on Physical and Psychological Consequences of Violence Against Police

Violence against police is a reality for many officers. Despite growing concerns over the rise in violence against police and the serious individual and societal repercussions associated with it, a comprehensive overview of the psychological and physical consequences of verbal and physical violence against police remains elusive. By performing a scoping review (n = 21) of studies and reports identified via database searches (Web of Science and Google Scholar), reference mining, and purposive sampling, and published between 2010 and 2023, this article is the first of its kind to map psychological and physical consequences of violence against police, as well as the risk and protective factors that respectively increase and decrease adverse consequences. Results indicate that officers experience primary victimization by a range of different adverse consequences, but also deal with secondary victimization. The literature has come to a standstill due to lack of (recent) studies and a lack of diversity on how consequences of violence against police are studied. We argue that this lack of academic attention might be influenced by predominant societal perspectives and officers' perceived victim status, and discuss the implications for police, policymakers, and research.

Relationship between workplace violence and mental/physical health of security guards during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between workplace violence (WPV) and mental and physical health (MPH) of security guards during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 15 representative security companies across northern, central, and southern Taiwan, and outlying islands from July 2021 to June 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. 1,200 questionnaires were distributed. A total of 1,032 valid questionnaires were collected.

Results

13.18% of the participants reported that they had experienced WPV during the COVID-19 pandemic, including physical violence (PhV), psychological violence (PsV), verbal violence (VV), and sexual harassment (SH). The most common violence was VV (54.19%), followed by PsV (20.69%). Community residents and property owners were the primary perpetrators, followed by strangers. The study showed that the security guards who had experienced WPV had higher scores on the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (Taiwan version) (CHQ-12), indicating poorer MPH than those who had never experienced WPV. The result showed that VV had strong correlations with the lack of effective communication, dissatisfaction with treatment and service attitude, and work stress. PsV was strongly associated with excessive waiting times.

Conclusion

There were correlations among PhV, VV, and PsV and they had adverse impacts on MPH, except for SH. The study found that the primary perpetrators of WPV against security guards were community residents and property owners. The causes were the lack of effective communication, dissatisfaction with treatment and service attitude, excessive waiting times, and work stress, which further led to turnover intention and poor MPH. The findings of this study have useful implications and it is recommended to enhance the understanding of workplace violence against security guards and to formulate appropriate local and international strategies to address it.

Consequences of Exposure to Violence, Aggression, and Sexual Harassment in Private Security Work: A Mediation Model

While exposure to violence and aggression is well known for its detrimental effects on employees' health as well as organizational outcomes, certain high-risk work domains have scarcely been researched. Thus, this study set out to determine negative consequences of work-related exposure to four forms of harmful behaviors in private security. In a sample of 487 German-speaking security guards, 23% had experienced outsider-initiated violence, 56% aggressive acts, 30% vicarious violent acts, and 3% were sexually harassed over the past 12 months. Additionally, 19% reported substantial to extreme worries about violence. By presenting an integrated model of negative consequences to outsider-initiated violent, aggressive as well as sexual harassing acts, we strived to extend previous research by showing that turnover intention (as an ultimate negative behavioral outcome) is only indirectly related to these experiences via worries about violence and psychosomatic complaints. Structural equation modeling provided support for the model and plausibility for a sequential "two-step" prediction of turnover intention. Further, we provided support that worries about violence are not solely triggered by directly experiencing physical violence but also vicarious violence, aggressive acts, and sexual harassment. Consistent with previous studies, worries about violence were identified as a central mediator in the transmission process from exposure to harmful behaviors at work to negative consequences, that is, psychosomatic complaints and turnover intention. Our findings have implications for the detailed understanding of consequences emerging from exposure to workplace violence and aggression as well as the development of effective prevention strategies especially in high-risk occupations such as private security.

Work Characteristics and Psychosomatic Health Complaints of Private Security Personnel

Abstract. The present study reports a broad perspective on work characteristics related to private security work and identified predictors of health impairments in a German-speaking sample ( N = 683). Occupational conditions, exposure to violence/aggression, and psychosocial work characteristics each significantly explained incremental variance in psychosomatic complaints. Detailed findings revealed that average weekly working hours (and unusual working hours) substantially exceeded those of other service sector occupations (or the general population) in Germany. Exposure to violence/aggression was also substantial in regard to the European average. Participants reported low social status, promotion opportunities, and pay while their work offered substantial learning demands. Possibilities to acquire relevant skills, supervisor feedback, job control, or participation opportunities seem to provide little support at work. Excessive working hours, worries about violence, social status, and lone work emerged among the strongest predictors of psychosomatic complaints. Additionally, unusual working hours and job stressors (physical workload, quality impairments) increased the prevalence of psychosomatic complaints.

The influence of specific aspects of occupational stress on security guards' health and work ability: detailed extension of a previous study

In our earlier study of security guards, we showed that higher occupational stress was associated with health impairments (metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases) and work disability. The aim of this study was to further explore the association of specific occupational stressors with health impairments and work disability parameters in 399 Serbian male security guards (aged 25–65 years). Ridge linear regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for age, body mass index, and smoking status, professional stressors including high demands, strictness, conflict/uncertainty, threat avoidance and underload were significant positive predictors of fasting glucose, triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate, Framingham cardiovascular risk score, and temporary work disability. The security profession is in expansion worldwide, and more studies are needed to establish precise health risk predictors, since such data are generally lacking.

The relationship between occupational stress, health status, and temporary and permanent work disability among security guards in Serbia

Purpose. This study aimed to examine the influence of occupational stress on health status and work disability among security guards in Serbia. Methods. Three hundred and ninty nine male security guards (aged 25-65 years) were examined during regular medical preventive check-ups at the Institute of Occupational Health. Data on their health status and permanent and temporary work disability were obtained, and correlations with the levels of occupational stress (measured by occupational stress index [OSI] questionnaire) were analysed. Results. A high prevalence of health impairments, including diabetes (38.8%), dyslipidaemia (82.7%), hypertension (69.9%) and metabolic syndrome (77.7%), was found. Highly significant correlations were shown between reported levels of total stress at work (total OSI score) and measured values of glucose, lipids, blood pressure, heart rate, Framingham cardiovascular risk scale, occurrence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular insults, degenerative eye-fundus changes, and temporary and permanent work disability. All of these correlations remained significant even after adjustments for age, body mass index and smoking status. Regression analysis confirmed the independent effect of occupational stress on the analysed parameters. Conclusions. There is a significant independent impact of occupational stress on development of health impairments and work disability among security guards.

[Prevalence and violence-associated factors in the work environment of female prison guards in Brazil]

This article aims to estimate the prevalence and violence-associated factors in the work environment of female correctional officers in Brazil. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted in 15 female correctional facilities in Brazil's five regions. Pearson's chi-square test was performed. The Odds Ratio and Confidence Intervals were estimated for factors that showed a significant association or were confounding factors. The prevalence of having experienced at least one violent occurrence during professional duty as an officer was 28.4%. An interesting factor is fact that agents themselves are identified as the main suspects of robbery (74.6%), moral violence (68.1%) and sexual harassment (66.8%) against their co-workers. Working in more than one correctional facility increased the chance of suffering from violence (OR = 3.23; CI = 1.51 - 6.9). The main associated factors are: working in temporary detention centers, age of admission to the prison system and low social support among co-workers. Violence in the Brazilian prison environment is of great magnitude and considered a complex phenomenon with multiple causes. To combat this, it is necessary to adopt intersectoral actions, capable of intervening both in the prison environment and in society.

The Effects of Trivialization of Workplace Violence on Its Victims: Profession and Sex Differences in a Cross-Sectional Study among Healthcare and Law Enforcement Workers

BACKGROUND

Workers from the law enforcement and healthcare sectors tend to normalize or mute their victimization from workplace violence (WPV).

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess the impact of the trivialization of WPV on psychological consequences for workers who have been affected by a WPV incident. The second aim is to assess the moderating effect of sex on the trivialization of WPV. The third and overarching aim is to assess the moderating effect of professional identity on the relations between individual and organizational factors and psychological consequences following a WPV incident.

METHODS

The findings are based on a convenience sample of 377 (204 female and 173 male) workers from the law enforcement and healthcare sectors. Individual factors (sex, age, professional identity, prior victimization, witnessing WPV, injuries, and trivialization of violence) and perceived support factors (colleagues' support and employer's support) were used as predictor variables of psychological consequences in hierarchical linear regression models. Sex was used as a moderator of trivialization while professional identity was used as a moderator of all predictors.

FINDINGS

When individual and social support factors were controlled for, normalizing violence was negatively associated with psychological consequences while perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about WPV was positively associated for all participants. When these relations were moderated by the sex of the participants and then by their professional identity, normalization was found to decrease psychological consequences only for male healthcare workers.

IMPLICATIONS

To help employees cope with WPV, organizations should promote strategies adapted to profession and sex differences. For male healthcare workers, normalization as a cognitive coping strategy should be formally recognized. For both professions and sexes, organizational strategies that counter the perceived taboo of complaining about violence should be reinforced.