Further, these traumas can strike without warning, which overwhelms the workers, families, and communities that are involved (Miller, 2002). Employers can be even be sued by the families of victims (Perry, 2000), and unless management can train employees on the risks and consequences of workplace violence, the overall impact can be devastating
Coombs & Holladay (2004) note that workplace aggression is more and more entering the consciousness of organizational experts and is now more recognized as a global rather than episodic or domestic concern. Studies confirm that workplace aggression is a problem encountered around the globe, not simply in the United States (Coombs & Holladay, 2004; Fisher, 2001)
These underlying problems may include "feelings of powerlessness" among employees, stress, "resistance to policies" and general unrest, where aggression is viewed as a "functional coping mechanism" to help workers address such problems (Coombs & Holladay, 2004: 481). Other researchers suggest that training interventions will only work once employees and aggressors become aware of their behaviors and identify the reasons for participating in negative or aggressive behavior (Fisher, 2001)
Aggression, Violence in the Workplace Studies suggest that violence and aggression are an increasingly common occurrence in organizations large and small across the globe (Repetti, Seeman & Taylor, 1997; Waldron, 2000; Coombs & Holladay, 2004)
More violent acts of aggression or acts of violence can result in physical and emotional pain; overt physical and verbal abuse holds psychological ramifications for the employee that is targeted and may also affect workforce productivity (Coombs & Holladay, 2004). Researchers have continually found that workplace aggression can inhibit an organizations ability to delivery optimal services to customers and can in fact create a culture that is harmful and promotes other forms of harassment including sexual harassment (Waldron, 2000)
In contrast to the stranger relationship, clients, patients, and even subordinates or coworkers who have used violent behavior in the past will often continue using violence for a number of reasons including a means to get their needs met and reduce frustration. The need to consider the relationship between victim and assailant is also important (Jenkins, 1996)
This emphasis broadens the definition of workplace violence to include verbal forms of violence, as well as physical. Other experts in the area of workplace violence encourage employers to include verbal forms of violence, such as threats, harassment, and intimidation, in their violence prevention policies (Labig, 1995)
These acts include all types of physical or verbal assaults, threats, coercion, intimidation and all forms of harassment. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Lord, 1998) 750 people have been murdered at work each year since 1980
The one perpetrated by the media is an armed, disgruntled employee or client who shoots selectively or indiscriminately at employees, supervisors and managers. However, studies have shown that the real threat workers face is more accurately described by the Workplace Violence Research Institute (Mattman, 2001) is definition: Any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and negatively affects the employee, either physically or psychologically
The need to consider the relationship between victim and assailant is also important (Jenkins, 1996). Characteristics of Violent Behavior Patterns There are eight categories of behavior patterns that are recognized for intervention (McDonald, 2001)
It should be noted, however, that outsiders perpetrate most homicides in industries with direct public contact. This is reflected in occupations at high risk for violence such as employees and owners of small grocery and convenience stores, hotel clerks, gas station workers, law enforcement officers, and other publicly linked occupations (Neuman, 1998)
One study estimates that workplace violence costs employers between $6.4 and $36 billion in lost productivity, diminished public image, insurance expenses, increased security, and other related factors (Speer, 1998)
Fifty five million dollars in wages are lost each year due to workplace violence. Almost two million days of work are lost each year due to this problem (Taylor, 1991)
Jobs that appear to be high risk have found the following factors to be associated with workplace violence: Exchanging money; Working alone at night and during early morning hours; Having money, valued items, jewelry, or other items that are easily exchanged for cash; Performing public safety functions in the community; Working with patients, clients, or customers known to have or suspected of having a history of violence; and Working with employees with a history of assaults or who exhibit belligerent, intimidating, or threatening behavior toward others. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993)
The "essential change of the EFCA would be to allow the employees -- rather than the employer -- to decide whether to hold a secret-ballot election. If at least half of the workforce signed cards saying it wanted a union, there would be a union -- without the rigmarole of a full-blown election" (Beam 2009)
The coworkers know that it happens among the coworkers at the same ranks unlike bullying which is widely considered as originating from one in a higher position or rank directed towards an individual at a lower position. Lateral violence can be in the form of verbal abuse, non-verbal abuse, covert aggression or even in many occasions outright violence and harassment (Massachusetts Nurses Association, 2015)
Each of these changes to organizational procedure starts at the level of leadership and management, creating a safer workplace environment. Simply increasing penalties for violence in the healthcare environment is not enough (Henry & Ginn, 2014)
" Moreover, the Department of Labor (2016) reports that almost 20% of the 11,370 reported incidents in one year occurred in nursing and residential care facilities. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience assault or violence than workers in any other sector (Thompson, 2015)
Minimizing wait times or better addressing the needs of patients who have long waits would be one way of reducing the potential for violent outbursts. Similarly, violence occurs in situations involving psychiatric patients who are not being properly cared for (Trotto, 2014)
Effective leadership will determine the need for changes in human resources, as well as administrative efforts including risk assessments and total quality management. The most effective leadership style to address concerns of workplace violence is engaged leadership because there is "a direct connection between engaged leadership, workplace security and organizational success," (Whitmore, 2012, p