I. Introduction
Giraffe (2011) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2002) describe workplace violence as any form of violence or a threat of violence against an employee or employer by a coworker or even the employer at the workplace. In some occasions, the violence can occur outside the workplace, and can be linked to a simple disagreement that elicits aggression with consequences ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults (violence). In some extreme cases, homicide and murder can arise as a result of workplace violence. OSHA emphasizes that up to 2 million American employees are affected by workplace violence annually. As a growing concern that affects almost everyone in the modern day workplaces, the problem of
…show more content…
B. Explanation
Therefore, the sources of workplace can be comprehended through analysis of these categories, or rather sources of violence in the workplace. For example, violence might arise as a result of criminal intent on the side of the offender, disagreement between an employee and a customer or with another employee, as well as personal relationships that elicit aggression in the workplace.
C. So What?
This means that in-depth analysis of the sources workplace violence can help one understand the causes and risk factors linked to violence in the present day workplaces as described by Haynes (2013).
III. Effects of Workplace Violence
A. Evidence
“Workplace violence negatively affects not only the direct victims of such behavior, but also those who witness such violence. To witness violence of any sort in the workplace may cause concern to workers that they themselves may face this type of violence in the future,” (Aytaç & Dursun, 2012, pg. 3026).
B.
…show more content…
This can be attributed to the fact that violence underwrites the creation of a negative relationship in the workplace, for instance, by instilling a strong sense of fear. The fear often could be as are result of criminal violence and murder, which affects the employees’ job satisfaction while creating tension and stress, but workplace aggression affects some individuals more than other when it escalates. It goes without mentioning that the perception of the dimensions of the violence climate dictates the expression of the effects of violence, either physically or emotionally. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, up to 5000 fatal workplace injuries occur every year, and about 70 percent can be linked to aggression in the workplace.
C. So What?
Therefore, the effects of any form of violence in the workplace can range from the negative performance of an employee to physical injuries or death (Aytaç & Dursun, 2012; Giraffe, 2011).
IV. Possible Solutions to Workplace Violence and their
Domestic violence can have specific victims, such as a spouse or domestic partner, a child, or an elder. Domestic violence can affect men as well as women. Some types of domestic violence are physical, verbal or nonverbal, sexual, stalking or cyberstalking, economic or financial, and spiritual. Domestic violence affects the victim physically often times causing injuries that could lead to hospitalization or death, psychologically involving gaining control over the victim as well, and socially by isolating them from family and friends. When we think of the effects of domestic violence it becomes clear that it not only affects the victim and the family but as in recent years, the violence can spill beyond the walls of the home into the neighborhood and the workplace resulting in what has become more and more common, domestic violence related workplace shootings.
Working frontline in the criminal justice field you face the risk of being physically and verbally assaulted. In the year of 2012, there were at
The small study was done to determine how often particpants were exposed to lateral violence. This voluntary study was a web based study to allow anonymoty and consisted of a pretest then an educational session followed by a post test, with a three month follow up survey. The pre-intervention survey showed that staff was seeing lateral violence weekly and post intervention showed a decrease in behaviors to monthly. This shows that education can have a positive impact on decreasing incidents of lateral violence.
Pam Criss's article in the Journal of Social Work Education, titled Effects of Client Violence on Social Work Students: A National Study shows results on the effects of direct and indirect client violence against a random sample of MSW and BSW students from the National Association of Social Works in the United State. This study looks at how workplace violence is a concern for social work students entering their field placement. These types of violence may be a major factor in the student’s choice of decreased commitment to the occupation. One act of violence can lead the student to fear more acts of violence. In addition, it looks at how a social worker can be affected vicariously by hearing of colleagues being harmed or threatened. Furthermore, a relationship between violence in the work place and the social worker deciding to leave the workplace because of decreased effective organizational commitment due to the negative effects of stress and burnout is also shown (Criss, 2010)
Goldstein, J. (1986). The Nature of Human Aggression. Aggression and Crimes of Violence. New York. Oxford University Press, 3-29.
Nurses continually strive to bring holistic, efficient, and safe care to their patients. However, if the safety and well-being of the nurses are threatened or compromised, it is difficult for nurses to work effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the position of the American Nurses Association (ANA) advocate that every nursing professional have the right to work in a healthy work environment free of abusive behavior such as bullying, hostility, lateral abuse and violence, sexual harassment, intimidation, abuse of authority and position and reprisal for speaking out against abuses (American Nurses Association, 2012).
Workplace violence in the nursing profession has been extensively reported and documented. It is associated with serious negative consequences both for the nurse and their patients. Such disruptive behaviors in the nursing profession severely impact the emotional and mental well-being of the nurses that in turn affects retaining qualified and experiences staff in a healthcare organization. Such type of violence is considered as a major occupational hazard and condemned by major nursing organizations including the CENTER for American Nurses and American Nurse Organization. In the nursing profession workplace violence includes several types of negative behavior such as lateral violence, bullying and aggression. Lateral or horizontal violence is described as harmful or disrespectful behavior towards a coworker or a group of coworkers which in essence denies them of their basic human right and has a profound negative effect on their self-esteem and confidence (Becher & Visovsky, 2012). While lateral violence is mostly observed among peers or coworkers bullying is generally observed between a higher authority staff and those working under them such as a nursing supervisor and a staff nurse. Bullying is mostly verbal in nature which involves the use of abusive language, intimidation, insult and using authority to subdue, threaten or humiliate their subordinates (Lateral Violence and Bullying, 2008). When nurses are subjected to any kind of horizontal violence or bullying over a period of time it unduly affects them with physical, emotional, mental and financial consequences. In addition such workplace violence also brings forth negative consequences for the healthcare organization and patients in particular. Thus given the seriousness o...
In the early 1980s aggression and violence in the workplace have been a source of a lot of public discussion. (Piquero pg.383) The issues have risen again recently and have mostly been present in management and business fields. Workplace aggression often includes “behavior by an individual or individuals within or outside organizations that is intended to physically or psychologically harms a worker or workers and occurs in a work related”. (Schat& Kelloway Pg. 191) A national survey Conducted by the National Centers for Victims of Crime shows several statistics regarding workplace homicide by type show that is the year of (see fig. 1), violent crimes against victims working or an duty( see fig. 2) and nonfatal workplace violence committed by strangers(see fig. 3
My paper will outline policies and procedures a company can adopt to make the workplace a safer environment. There are a number of factors that needs to be considered when this type of violence occurs. So what is workplace violence?
Workplace violence is a frustrating issue confronting businesses today. While more data on the reason for violence and how to handle it is getting known, there is frequently no sensible basis for this sort of behavior and, in spite of all that we know or do, fierce circumstances happen. No superintendent is resistant from working environment brutality and no manager can completely anticipate it.Workplace violence can cause many issues for a business, from extra expense, to how to deal with the problem, and prevent it from happening in the future.
The best approach to handling violence in the workplace is to prevent it. To curtail violence among employees in your business, take the following steps: • Accept the possibility that workplace violence can occur in your workplace. • Review your recruiting and hiring procedures — where permitted, institute criminal background checks and carefully check all references and former employers. • Check external and internal security. • Where appropriate, use a screening system.
Workplace harassment is unwelcome actions that are based on a person’s race, religion, color, and sex, and gender, country of origin, age, ethnicity or disability. The targets of the harassment are people who are usually perceived as “weaker” or “inferior” by the person who is harassing them. Companies and employers can also be guilty of workplace harassment if they utilize discriminatory practices against persons based on ethnicity, country of origin, religion, race, color, age, disability, or sex. These discriminatory practices have been illegal since the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Civil Rights Act of 1964), and have been amended to be more inclusive of other people who experience discrimination by the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (The Civil Rights Act of 1991), and most recently, President Obama’s signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (Stolberg, 2009).
Introduction Workplace violence is an action of violent behaviour, physical assault, or threatening behaviour that occurs in a work setting. It causes physical or emotional trauma to customers, co-workers, or managers. Workplace Violence includes beatings, stabbings, suicides, shootings, rapes, near-suicides, threats or obscene phone calls, intimidation, and harassment of any nature (Government Agency, n.d). The workplace can be referring to any location either permanent or temporary as long as the employee performs their work-related duty. General definitions of workplace violence have been mentioned over and over again include acts of sabotage on work-site property (USLEGAL, 2016).
The paper will also entail a review of some of the reasons why violence in work places is not reported and, policies implemented against workplace violence. Factors contributing to workplace violence in hospitals Examples of factors contributing to workplace include – working with violent and unsound persons; working in places where alcoholic drinks are served; handling prescription drugs and money. Working with the community; working in isolated places or alone and working when there are strikes also contribute to the risk of workplace violence. Furthermore, the place of work and the period of time given to work can increase chances of workplace violence.