Experiences of preventing violence in two high-risk sectors: A qualitative study of front-line workers.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to workplace violence is associated with physical and/or psychological trauma. Despite its significant impact, little is known about front-line workers' experiences of preventing workplace violence. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify what workers identify as important to preventing workplace conflicts from escalating into violence. METHODS: We conducted seventeen qualitative focus-group interviews with fifty-eight workers at the Danish Prison and Probation Service and psychiatric hospitals. We applied thematic analysis to identify types of violence-prevention practices, and prerequisites for successfully preventing workplace violence. RESULTS: We identified two main categories of violence-prevention practices, and one main category of prerequisites for violence-prevention practices. Main category A), "the individual worker's violence-prevention practices" included the sub-categories, 1) identify the causes of workplace violence and potentially violent situations, 2) establish relationships, state rules, and set clear boundaries and 3) display empathy and communicate respectfully. Main category B), "collaborative practices for preventing workplace violence" included 4) communicate with co-workers, and share information and observations, 5) coordinate work, avoid being played off against colleagues, and support colleagues. Main category C), "prerequisites for violence-prevention practices" included 6) managing one's emotions, and 7) having sufficient time to do the job, and being a part of a stable team, whose members know each other and the inmates/patients". CONCLUSION: This study contributes to a better understanding of the interplay among individual, collaborative, and contextual aspects of preventing workplace violence. We believe that an increased understanding of the complexity of preventing workplace violence in high-risk sectors is useful when designing comprehensive violence-prevention strategies.

Development of a Questionnaire for Measuring Employees' Perception of Selection, Optimisation and Compensation at the Leadership, Group and Individual Levels.

This study is the first to develop a questionnaire to measure employees' perceptions of the use of the action strategies selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) beyond the individual level, which has so far been lacking in research and practice. The study thus contributes an important tool for research into the role of SOC strategies at the leadership, group, and individual levels for long and healthy working lives. It may also be used by practitioners as a tool to provide input when developing targeted interventions to support long and healthy working lives. The development of the questionnaire was based on SOC theory, qualitative and cognitive interviews, and existing SOC questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested on data from a cross-sectional survey with responses from 785 nurses and 244 dairy workers. Results from confirmatory factor analyses supported the theoretically expected nine-factor structure of the questionnaire in both study populations (nurses and dairy workers). Furthermore, the results largely supported the criterion validity and internal reliability of the scales in the questionnaire. Nevertheless, further validation across additional occupational groups is needed.