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van Reemst L, Jongerling J. Exposure to aggression in three contexts of emergency response: A longitudinal examination of the relationship with psychological characteristics of the emergency responder. Aggress Behav 2024; 50:e22160. [PMID: 38889343 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Some emergency responders are more often exposed to workplace aggression than others. Victimological theories and previous studies suggest that characteristics of the target may predict exposure to workplace aggression. This paper examines the relationship between negative affect, hostile attribution, dominance, empathy, self-evaluations, and exposure to workplace aggression among emergency responders. Emergency medical workers, firefighters and police officers in the Netherlands filled in a survey during three measurement occasions (6 months apart). Results from the three occupational groups were presented separately. Results suggest that some psychological characteristics are related to exposure to workplace aggression, but that the contribution of these characteristics in the explanation of exposure to workplace aggression is limited. In addition, although differences between occupational groups could not be statistically tested due to differences in the factor structure of exposure to workplace aggression between the three groups of emergency response, differences seem to occur in models between emergency response contexts. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa van Reemst
- Department of Criminology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joran Jongerling
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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van Reemst L, Fischer T, Weerman F. Aggression Against Police Officers and Behavior Toward Citizens: Reciprocal Influence or Common Causes? Front Psychol 2022; 13:866923. [PMID: 35814088 PMCID: PMC9262041 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Police officers are often the victim of aggression by citizens, which has negative consequences for them and society in general. Therefore, it is important to gain knowledge about related factors. This study examines to what extent experiencing aggression as a police officer is related to their patience with citizens and use of force weapons and tools. Two explanations based on the victim-offender overlap are examined: experiences of aggression and behavior toward citizens influence each other vs. both have common causes. This study was conducted on the basis of a longitudinal survey among police officers (N = 693). The results show that behavior toward citizens, including patience with citizens and the use of force is related to the aggression police officers experience. The association decreases but does not disappear when common causes are taken into account, in this case socio-demographic and work-related characteristics. No direct support is found for reciprocal influence. Implications and suggestions for further research are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa van Reemst
- Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Criminology, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR), Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tamar Fischer
- Department of Criminology, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR), Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frank Weerman
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Criminology, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR), Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Hadian M, Jabbari A, Sheikhbardsiri H. Workplace violence and influencing factors among paramedic pre hospital paramedic personnel (city and road) in Iran: a quality content analysis. BMC Emerg Med 2021; 21:124. [PMID: 34715782 PMCID: PMC8555860 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-021-00520-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The goal of every emergency department is to provide the highest quality services in the shortest time using limited resources. However, occupational violence is so prevalent among pre-hospital paramedic personnel that some experts claim that it is impossible to find pre-hospital personnel without an experience of violence in the workplace. Therefore, it seems necessary to investigate the causes of violence among this population group and find ways to control it. Aim The present study aimed to investigate the Violence and influencing factors among paramedic pre-hospital personnel. Method This qualitative study was conducted to explore the views of a group of pre-hospital paramedic personnel (n = 45) selected through purposive sampling. The data was collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s conventional content analysis methods. The trial version of MAXQDA 16 software was used to manage the coding process. Results Based on the results of the analysis of data collected from prehospital paramedic personnel, three main categories including: human factors, organizational factors, and environmental factors and 20 subcategories were detected. Conclusion If authorities neglect violence in the workplace and do not take serious actions to prevent it, violence and, more importantly, “hostility” will gradually prevail in the workplace. It also increases the stress and anxiety of staff and consequently severely deteriorates their job performance. Hence, authorities are strongly recommended not to ignore this issue and, instead, take measures, for instance hold workshops, to train personnel about the techniques of anger and violence control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziye Hadian
- Health Services Management, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Alireza Jabbari
- Health Services Management, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hojjat Sheikhbardsiri
- Health in Disasters and Emergencies Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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van Reemst L, Jongerling J. Measuring and Modeling Exposure to External Workplace Aggression in Three Types of Emergency Responders. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:7978-8003. [PMID: 31072169 PMCID: PMC8485282 DOI: 10.1177/0886260519847780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The measurement properties of indices about workplace aggression initiated by the public, referred to as external workplace aggression, are under-researched. This study addressed how exposure to external workplace aggression is best measured and modeled in three types of emergency responders. The study inspected the factor structure and explored the addition of severity to an existing measure of frequency of exposure to workplace aggression, which addresses forms of physical aggression, threats, and verbal and nonverbal/nonphysical aggression (gestures) by people outside the organization directed toward employees. Self-reported data from 1,499 emergency responders, including emergency medical workers, firefighters, and police officers in the Netherlands, were analyzed using factor analyses in Mplus. In addition, the relationships between workplace aggression indices and a measure of the situational risk for violence were tested. Results show that the frequency index measured exposure to external workplace aggression better than the index combining the frequency and severity, and that factor structures of indices differed, regarding number and content of factors, between the three groups of emergency responders. An important implication is that researchers and policy employees can use a relatively simple measure to examine exposure to aggression in organizations.
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Drew P, Tippett V, Devenish S. Paramedic occupational violence mitigation: a comprehensive systematic review of emergency service worker prevention strategies and experiences for use in prehospital care. Occup Environ Med 2021; 78:841-848. [PMID: 33658324 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2020-107037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Occupational violence is a significant issue within the context of prehospital healthcare with the majority of paramedics reporting some form of abuse, intimidation, physical or sexual assault during their career. Though the paramedic literature acknowledges the severity of this issue, there is limited literature examining occupational violence mitigation strategies. Despite this, the operational and environmental similarities that exist between paramedics and other emergency service workers such as the police and firefighters, provide an opportunity to review relatable occupational violence mitigation strategies and experiences.This review used Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for systematic reviews of both qualitative evidence and effectiveness. Studies included in this review incorporated those published in English from 1990 to January 2020.Two qualitative studies met the criteria for review. From these, a total of 22 findings were extracted and combined to form four categories from which two syntheses were developed. Twenty-four quantitative studies, encompassing six unique fields, met the criteria for review.Mitigation strategies for emergency service worker occupational violence are not easily defined. They are dynamic, multilayered and encompass a variety of complex social, medical and psychological influences. In spite of this, there are clear benefits to their application in regard to the approaches and training of violence mitigation. The paramedic environment would benefit from strategies that are flexible to the ongoing needs of the workers and the specific cultural, environmental and social factors that encompass the paramedic organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Drew
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vivienne Tippett
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott Devenish
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
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Geoffrion S, Goncalves J, Marchand A, Boyer R, Marchand A, Corbière M, Guay S. Post-traumatic Reactions and Their Predictors among Workers Who Experienced Serious Violent Acts: Are There Sex Differences? Ann Work Expo Health 2019; 62:465-474. [PMID: 29548023 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxy011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Serious violent acts (e.g. physical violence, robbery, sexual aggression and death threats) are among the most visible and notable examples of workplace violence. Although women are commonly found to be at higher risk for post-traumatic reactions following workplace violence, little is known as regards sex differences concerning the types of post-traumatic reactions and their predictors. Objective This study aimed to describe sex differences in the post-traumatic reactions of serious violent acts and the predictors of such reactions. Methods The study was conducted among a convenience sample of 2889 French-speaking workers from Quebec, Canada by using a self-administrated survey. Linear regression modelings and post-hoc comparisons of coefficients according to the sex of the respondents were used to achieve the objective. Results Preliminary results confirmed that while men are more exposed to violence at work, women experience a greater number of post-traumatic reactions. Women were more affected by flashbacks, avoidance, and hypervigilance than men. The results also showed that being victimized by a male aggressor was associated with a greater number of post-traumatic reactions for women, whereas being victimized by an insider (e.g. colleague, supervisor, employee) was associated with a greater number of post-traumatic reactions for both sexes. Implications These findings highlight the necessity to better consider sex as a potential determinant of mental health in studies on workplace violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Geoffrion
- Trauma Studies Centre-Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada.,School of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jane Goncalves
- Trauma Studies Centre-Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada
| | - André Marchand
- Trauma Studies Centre-Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Canada
| | - Richard Boyer
- Research Centre-Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alain Marchand
- School of Industrial Relations, Université de Montréal, succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marc Corbière
- Research Centre-Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Education and Pedagogy, Université du Québec à Montréal, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stéphane Guay
- Trauma Studies Centre-Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, rue Hochelaga, Montreal, Canada.,School of Criminology, Université de Montréal, succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Canada
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Pinto CM, Radon K, Van Dijk F. Violence at Work and Mental Distress among Firefighters in Guatemala. Ann Glob Health 2018; 84:532-537. [PMID: 30835398 PMCID: PMC6748244 DOI: 10.29024/aogh.2306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Firefighting is a highly physically and mentally demanding occupation. In many countries, firefighters are frequently exposed to critical events, violent threats and assault in their job, however, knowledge about its prevalence is limited. In addition, little is known about the impact of workplace violence against firefighters in the development of mental distress. Objective: We aimed to determine the prevalence of mental distress in firefighters exposed to workplace violence. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 141 male full-time firefighters of Guatemala City and Metropolitan Area (response 80.4%) were invited to answer an interview-based questionnaire including items on sociodemographics, working conditions and mental health (general health questionnaire GHQ-12). Mental distress was defined as a GHQ-12 score above 4. The item ‘12-months prevalence of violence on the job’ included physical violence or sexual abuse from colleagues or the public. Statistical analysis with Epiinfo 7 included descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Findings: Exposure to violence at the workplace was common (37%). Prevalence of mental distress was higher in violence-exposed firefighters (54%) than among unexposed firemen (39%; p = 0.08). After adjustment, the odds for distress was not statistically significantly increased for those exposed to violence at the workplace in comparison to the unexposed group (1.87; 0.90–3.87). Especially affected by distress were middle-aged firefighters (40–49 years; adjusted Odds Ratio 2.90; 95% Confidence interval 1.20–7.05) compared to younger firemen (<40 years). Conclusions: Exposure to violence at the workplace is common in Guatemalan firefighters. Although limited by small numbers, the association between violence and poor mental health is plausible. Therefore, training programs strengthening resilience among firefighters in areas with high crime prevalence are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Meneses Pinto
- Center for International Health @ Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Munich (LMU), DE
| | - Katja Radon
- Center for International Health @ Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Munich (LMU), DE
| | - Frank Van Dijk
- LDOH - Learning and Developing of Occupational Health, Loosdrechtse Bos 17, 1213 RH Hilversum, NL
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