08 July 2005
Dramatic Increase In Violence and
Assaults On Service Employees
Research founded by City & Guilds has shown a
dramatic increase in violence and assaults on customer-facing staff by angry
and frustrated Britons who struggle to cope with the pressures of everyday
life.
The findings showed that physical and verbal attacks
has soared in the last two years, where workers in hospitality and security,
ticket inspectors, paramedics, nurses and other customer-facing staff have
suffered the most abuse. The report, which supports the demand for conflict
management training as part of a long term solution to workplace conflict, has
revealed that 37% of Britons have been verbally abused whilst at work. At least
16% of Britons admitted being threatened and a further 7% have been physically
abused by a member of the public.
City & Guilds has warned that time pressures,
unmet expectations and poor customer service are now taking their toll on the British.
“As a nation, we are becoming increasingly aggressive, more impatient and less
aware of the effect of our behaviour on others. Ultimately, no matter how busy
or rushed life is, it simply isn’t capable to shout, swear or become aggressive
to someone who is just doing their job,” commented Rob Roseveare, City &
Guilds’ conflict management specialist.
It is believed that young adults who fall in the 25-34
age group are the most likely perpetrators of misdirected aggression as 33%
have confessed to losing their temper with a call centre worker, a shop worker
or a bus driver-compared to 25% of people over the age of 55. These erratic and
violent outbursts are often blamed on the hectic pace of modern life where 77%
of people feel under pressure, claiming that there simply are not enough hours
in a day.
Disturbingly, 14% don’t regret their actions or dwell
on the consequences afterwards, claiming that the customer-facing workers
‘deserved it.’ The escalating violence has prompted City & Guilds to join
forces with Mayboo, the UK leader in Conflict Management and is urging
organisations to develop long-term strategies to protect their staff against
workplace conflict.
Roseveare added, “The results of this research
demonstrate how abuse in the workplace has become a significant problem. Almost
half of those questioned admit to being abusive call centre staff at one time
or other. The rising number of assaults has sparked concern amongst employers
who are now increasingly adopting a zero tolerance stance to abuse towards
their staff.”
He also stressed that it was imperative that people
feel safe at work and are empowered with the right skills to be able to carry
out their jobs to their best ability. Conflict management has proven to be a
vital life skill in many sectors and employers are now benefiting from this in
the hope that it will contribute to their overall strategy to address the issue
of violence in workplace.