Measuring and Modeling Exposure to External Workplace Aggression in Three Types of Emergency Responders

Exposure to aggression in three contexts of emergency response: A longitudinal examination of the relationship with psychological characteristics of the emergency responder

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.

Aggression Against Police Officers and Behavior Toward Citizens: Reciprocal Influence or Common Causes?

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.

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.

Incidents of aggression in German psychiatric hospitals: Is there an increase?

INTRODUCTION

In a meta-analysis of international studies, 17% of admitted patients in psychiatric hospitals had exhibited violent behavior toward others. Reported data from studies in Germany were considerably lower until recent years. However, studies examining only single hospitals, as well as the quality of the data itself, have raised questions as to the validity of these findings. Indeed, a debate currently exists as to whether there has, in fact, been an increase of violent incidents in German mental institutions.

METHODS

In a group of 10 hospitals serving about half the population of the Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg with 11 million inhabitants, the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R) was introduced into patients' electronic charts as part of routine documentation. Data recording was strongly supported by staff councils and unions. A completed data set is now available for the year 2019. For one hospital, data are available since 2006. Due to some doubts with respect to fully covering self-directed aggression, we restricted the analysis to aggression toward others and toward objects.

RESULTS

In 2019, 17,599 aggressive incidents were recorded in 64,367 admissions (1,660 staying forensic psychiatric inpatients included). 5,084 (7.90%) of the admitted cases showed aggressive behavior toward others. Variation between hospitals was low to modest (SD = 1.50). The mean SOAS-R score was 11.8 (SD between hospitals 1.20%). 23% of the incidents resulted in bodily harm. The percentage of patients showing violent behavior was highest among patients with organic disorders (ICD-10 F0) and lowest among patients with addictive or affective disorders (F1, F3, F4). Forensic psychiatry had the highest proportion of cases with aggressive behavior (20.54%), but the number of incidents per bed was lower than in general adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry (indicating a lower risk for staff). In the hospital with longer-term recordings available, an increase could be observed since 2010, with considerable variation between years.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the most robust estimate of the frequency of violent incidents in German psychiatric hospitals thus far. The incidence is about half of what has been reported internationally, probably due to sample selection bias in previous studies and a relatively high number of hospital beds in Germany. Available data suggest an increase of violent incidents over the last ten years; however, it is unclear to which extent this is due to increased reporting.