By MELISSA
MARINO
CANBERRA
Tuesday 22
February 2000
Workplace
violence is escalating worldwide, with health workers among those with the
greatest risk of suffering abuse on the job.
The
trend emerges from a study of three separate surveys that concludes that workplace
violence is widespread, transcends global boundaries and is of growing national
and international significance.
An
Australian Institute of Criminology report says that last year 73 per cent of
doctors surveyed in rural Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia had
been victims of work-related abuse - verbal insults and threats, property damage,
physical and sexual harassment, and physical violence.
Doctors
in remote areas saw themselves to be most at risk and some required an escort
to accompany them on house calls. Only 38 percent cent of those surveyed did
not fear making home visits, while one in two male doctors reported being
abused.
Data
from NSW WorkCover compensation claims showed registered nurses the second most
likely group to claim compensation for being physically attacked.
They
were second only to guards and security officers.
The
report found that no industry or occupation was immune from workplace violence
and abusive encounters were not restricted to clients or customers.
Of the
workers who responded to a poll quoted in the report, 46 percent cent of those
who alleged verbal abuse of some kind said it was from a manager or co-worker.
A further 7 percent cent said they had suffered physical abuse from colleagues.
Workers
most commonly murdered on the job were from the community sector, with police
and medical workers comprising 24 per cent of workplace homicides.
The
wholesale and retail trade sector was also a dangerous place to work, claiming
22 percent cent of workplace homicides, as was the “recreation and personal”
sector that includes brothels (20 percent cent).
Perceptions
of bullying also had increased. The tourism industry led, with more than 20
percent cent reporting growing problems. Medical, health and pharmaceutical
employers expressed concerns (15.4 percent cent), as did the legal profession,
government and media industries.
The federal
Justice Minister, Senator Amanda Vanstone, said violence in the workplace
should not be tolerated. She said thousands of workers faced the prospect of
vicious verbal or physical attack daily and the problem could be costing
Australia millions of dollars.
But she
said the onus to improve the situation did not rest with the law. “There is no problem with the law, or law
enforcement. We have the laws in place. In many cases the problem lies in the
culture of some organisations.”
She said
workplace violence could be modified as long as people were aware of the
importance of the issue and the scope of the problem.