TTAUSNZ Addressing Occupational Violence and Aggression

5 minute read…

With thanks to Richard Fisher, a Team Teach trainer in Australia, for his support in the production of this resource.

We all have the right to feel safe and protected in the workplace. None of us expects to encounter violence or aggression while carrying out our professional duties.

Sadly, however, across education and social care organisations in Australia, occupational violence and aggression (OVA) is becoming increasingly common. This is also sometimes referred to as ‘workplace violence and aggression’ (WVA).

This troubling phenomenon is having a detrimental impact on the health, wellbeing, recruitment, and retention of employees in these sectors. The question is: how can we address occupational violence and aggression, and create positive, supportive environments that protect the safety and wellbeing of our staff?

What is occupational violence and aggression?

While its exact definition varies across jurisdictions, Queensland Government, Australia describes occupational violence as, “any action, incident or behaviour that departs from reasonable conduct in which a person is threatened, harmed, or injured by another person in the course of, or as a direct result of, his or her work.”

While this definition is broad, it can include, but is not limited to, behaviours such as:

• Any form of assault, such as biting, spitting, scratching, hitting, kicking, punching, pushing, tripping, grabbing, or throwing objects
• Any form of aggression
• Intentionally coughing or spitting on someone
• Any form of sexual assault or indecent physical contact
• Intimidating behaviour that creates a fear of violence
• Sexual harassment
• Online abuse of workers
• Hazing or initiation practices
• Domestic violence when this occurs at the workplace

It’s important to note that occupational violence can occur between practitioners and the individuals they support, but also between professionals and individuals’ family members.

Occupational violence and aggression in the education sector

According to the Australian Catholic University’s Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey 2023, almost half of school principals reported being physically attacked in 2023. This is a 78% increase from 2011 when the survey was launched.

Almost all of the physical assaults (96%) were carried out by students. However, 65% had been threatened with violence by parents and caregivers, and 88% of principals also said they had been subject to cyberbullying.

Against a challenging educational backdrop – including worsening staff shortages – the report found that 20% of school leaders were moderately or severely depressed. Others admitted being at risk of serious mental health concerns, including burnout, stress, and sleeping issues.

Occupational violence and aggression in social care organisations

The statistics in social care are equally troubling: a report by Workplace Health and Safety, Queensland examined rates of OVA in the residential care sector (including aged care, youth care, and disability support). It revealed a 195% increase in incidents over a five-year period. Of the cases reported, 25% of employees did not return to work, and over 62% reported suffering from a stress or anxiety disorder.

Occupational violence and aggression in healthcare

Healthcare workers can also be victims of workplace violence and aggression, something which appears to be on the rise. According to Safe Work Australia’s report, ‘Workplace and Work-related Violence and Aggression’ (August 2024), 40% of professionals in healthcare say they have encountered violence at work. This workforce comprises a range of occupations, including nurses, GPs, midwives and dentists, who, between them, provide vital healthcare and support to the entire population. They may be working in the community, in clinics or in hospitals, looking after patients with diverse needs. While certain patient profiles, such as dementia or psychiatric illness, may go some way to explaining the rates of occupational violence and aggression experienced, we also need to consider factors such as increased patient demands, long waiting times and dissatisfaction with treatment.

Is OVA under-reported?

The statistics across education, health, and social care are all the more concerning when we consider that OVA may be vastly under-reported for a number of reasons: verbal and physical aggression is normalised and accepted within some settings; reporting concerns can undermine trust between staff and individuals; employees may not think incidents are serious enough to warrant reporting; and there may be an underlying fear of retribution from the perpetrator, or perpetrators.

What is the impact of occupational violence and aggression on staff?

OVA can have devastating impact on those affected. While some may experience physical injuries, there is also the psychological impact to consider. According to research by the Australian Security Research Centre (ASRC) into workplace violence, 76% of respondents noted an emotional / psychological injury as a result of OVA. 41% said they had had time off work, and researchers noted that the impacts manifested in measurable outcomes, such as high levels of absenteeism, poor morale and decreased staff output.

What can we do to reduce the rates of OVA?

According to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, all employers are legally required to put measures in place to protect their workforce’s health and safety. While completely eliminating all risk may be impossible, there are a number of steps we can take to reduce the likelihood of harm or hurt, and work together to address occupational violence and aggression:

1: Create effective risk assessments
Where there are known risks, we need to ensure that these are identified and documented in robust, formal risk assessments. We can consider environments and activities that may increase levels of harm or hurt and take steps to mitigate them. In unforeseen circumstances, or rapidly changing situations, we can undertake dynamic risk assessments to respond swiftly to what is going on.

We can also think about individuals’ needs, and how these are best supported. While we cannot foresee every action or behaviour, we can use what we know about a child, young person, or adult to formulate appropriate risk assessments and Individual Support Plans. This allows us to adopt a proactive approach to reducing the likelihood of incidents.

2: Prioritise staff training and development
Often, we may be working with and supporting individuals with a range of complex physical, emotional and mental health needs. We may also be working in isolation, away from other staff members, so may not have access to additional support if required.

When individuals struggle to articulate their needs to us in a way that we can easily understand, they can sometimes become dysregulated, and behaviour may quickly escalate. This can cause a reaction from us, rather than a measured response. By ensuring that all staff within our organisation are given access to quality, ongoing CPD opportunities around proactive, positive behaviour support and risk reduction, we can foster cultures of support and care for all.

3: Build strong relationships
Good relationships sit at the heart of an effective organisation, whether that’s within staff teams, between practitioners and those in their care, or between settings and families.

When people feel seen, heard and valued for who they are, they may be more likely to engage with us during times of dysregulation, distress and anxiety, as well as when they feel calm. For example, if the parent or carer of an individual arrives at our organisation and is visibly upset about something that has happened, we can capitalise on strong relationships and use this to defuse escalating situations.

By understanding our own unique context, and the diverse needs of everyone across our communities, we can work together to create a coherent approach to support, identify issues, and find solutions that work for everyone.

4: Establish strong support networks for staff
In positive, supportive workplaces, seeking support from our colleagues is a sign of professional strength. To ensure well-being and safety are protected, leaders must nurture environments where staff feel comfortable to reach out and ask for help from their co-workers and leadership team when required.

Modelling decisive leadership, introducing an open-door policy, and providing regular opportunities for collaboration and collective reflection can help to foster a strong sense of unity and interdependence. If staff feel well supported, they may be more likely to share concerns they have around any abuse, violence or aggression they are experiencing at work.

5: Review post-incidents protocols
If and when an incident occurs within our organisation, we need to ensure that we have robust protocols in place for recording and reporting these. All staff should be aware of these processes, have access to relevant recording systems, and feel confident that their experiences are acknowledged.

Setting up clear channels for post-incident debriefs is crucial. These must be carried out in a timely way, and in a safe, comfortable environment. The debrief process is not about apportioning blame, or judging people’s actions; it’s about reflecting on what happened and learning from experiences so that they can be avoided in the future. As a result of an effective debrief, actions should be decided in collaboration with leaders. This might involve agreeing on support measures for staff affected, and updating existing policies, risk assessments and Individual Support Plans.

Occupational violence and aggression is a complex issue

Any form of abuse in the workplace is never acceptable; we all have a right to feel safe when we come to work. Occupational violence and aggression is a complex issue that needs a multi-faceted response at every level.

As professionals, we need to puzzle-solve to explore underlying contextual factors, to find out what is driving behaviour. By setting up strong staff support networks, reviewing our policies and practices, understanding behaviour as communication, and forging strong relationships across our wider communities, we can unite to overcome workplace violence and aggression.