Predictors of trivialization of workplace violence among healthcare workers and law enforcers.

Abstract

This study aims to identify individual and organizational predictors of trivialization of violence in 2 work sectors: healthcare and law enforcement. On the basis of data from a survey conducted among 1,141 workers from healthcare (e.g., nurses, orderlies.) and law enforcement (e.g., police, security agents), individual (sex, age, exposure to violence), and organizational factors (violence prevention training, support from colleagues and supervisors, presence of a “zero tolerance” policy and safety of physical environment) were used to predict trivialization of violence. Analyses were also conducted separately for women and men, and post hoc comparisons of regression estimates were performed to assess sex differences. Men were more likely than women to think that violence is normal in their workplace. Law enforcers were more likely than healthcare workers to perceive a taboo associated with complaining about workplace violence. This last result was most salient in the model with women, where the odds of perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about workplace violence were 2 times higher among law enforcers. Organizational factors were all significant negative predictors of perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about workplace violence. Trivialization was also positively associated with witnessing violent acts, not with being direct victim of workplace violence. By identifying factors that hinder work-related threat assessment and management, this study showed that organizations can decrease or prevent trivialization of workplace violence. Organizations may counter underreporting of this threat, which will increase capacity to assess the real magnitude of this problem and to better manage it.

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

“…Trivialization of WPV can be understood through the theoretical framework of professional identity, which refers to a system of meanings and values associated with the worker's roles (Skorikov and Vondracek, 2011). Professional identity influences the perceptions and attitudes of workers toward WPV (Geoffrion et al, 2015). Dick (2000) and Åkerström (2002) argued that the nature of the job and its professional culture construct the worker's identity and influence his perceptions of himself, his work environment, and the work-related situations he encounters.…”

“…WPV is considered to be part of the routine and curriculum of the job (Brown et al, 1999;Dick, 2000). Geoffrion et al (2015) found within a sample of 1141 workers that law enforcers were more likely than healthcare workers to perceive a taboo associated with complaining about WPV. Graef (1990) also argued that police culture promotes so-called masculine values, such as being able to manage potentially violent situations.…”

“…Nevertheless, healthcare and law enforcement workers tend to trivialize their exposure to all types of WPV (Erickson and Williams-Evans, 2000;Macdonald and Sirotich, 2001;Åkerström, 2002;Dyrkacz et al, 2012). Trivializing WPV consists of perceiving violence as normal or perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about it (Geoffrion et al, 2015). Normalization refers to the belief that aggression from the clientele is 'part of the job' while perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about WPV implies that workers mute their discomfort with WPV because they think that such behavior would lead to negative peer judgment (i.e.…”

“…Normalization refers to the belief that aggression from the clientele is 'part of the job' while perceiving a taboo associated with complaining about WPV implies that workers mute their discomfort with WPV because they think that such behavior would lead to negative peer judgment (i.e. being stigmatized as 'incompetent' or 'unfit' for the job; Dick, 2000;Macdonald and Sirotich, 2001;Åkerström, 2002;Geoffrion et al, 2015).…”

Validation de la version française canadienne du Perception of Prevalence of Aggression Scale auprès d’un échantillon d’intervenants en protection de la jeunesse1

“…En effet, ceux-ci ont tendance à banaliser les incidents de violence en normalisant l'évènement (p. ex. « Ça fait partie de l'emploi ») ou en s'abstenant d'en parler par crainte d'être stigmatisés comme incompétents par leurs collègues ou leurs superviseurs (Dyrkacz et al, 2012;Geoffrion, Lanctôt, Marchand, Boyer et Guay, 2015). Cette banalisation engendre alors une sousdéclaration de la violence qui affecte la capacité des organisations à répondre adéquatement au problème, laissant ainsi les travailleurs à risque d'être victimisés à nouveau (Dryckacz et al, 2012;Hutchings, Lundrigan, Mathews, Lynch et Goosney, 2011;Pawlin, 2008;Taylor et Rew, 2011).…”