Appraising the Inclusive Definition of Workplace "Violence"

• NCJ Number: 209213
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2005 Pages: 141-164
• Author(s): P. A. J. Waddington; Doug Badger; Ray Bull
• Date Published: March 2005
• Length: 24 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of using an inclusive definition of "workplace violence" in the context of how public-sector employees experience workplace violence.

Abstract

Interviews were conducted with 54 police officers from a single division in the south of England, and 62 social-care professionals. This was not a random sample that can be viewed as representative of the participating professions. Interviewees were asked to recall the most recent occasion in which they had experienced "threats, intimidation, or violence." In keeping with the inclusive definition of violence, it was left to the interviewees to determine what qualified as such an experience. By focusing only on the most recent occasion, the researchers hoped to focus on the more routine expression of perceived violence rather than on the severity of the workplace violence. Allowing the interviewees to apply their own interpretations of "threats, intimidation, or violence," yielded a broad spectrum of behaviors perceived as meeting these criteria. The experience of overt physical violence was comparatively rare for the interviewees and included a broad range of behaviors. Police officers experienced it the most. Among social-care professionals, physical violence was less frequent and less severe. Verbal aggression was endemic in police officer encounters and was considered as of only incidental significance; however, among social-care professionals, the majority of incidents included verbal expressions of anger, often accompanied by obscenities and, less often, explicit threats. These events were experienced as just as distressing as the threat or even actuality of physical assaults. Although a disadvantage of an inclusive definition of "workplace violence" is the broad range of events that may be encompassed, the fact that physical violence includes such a broad range of behaviors and that various forms of intimidation and threats have such a psychological impact argues for the use of an inclusive definition. 76 references