Analysing workplace violence towards health care staff in public hospitals using alternative ordered response models: the case of north-eastern Turkey

The main objective of this article is to determine key factors that may have a significant effect on the verbal abuse, emotional abuse and physical assault of health care workers in north-eastern Turkey. A self-administered survey was completed by 450 health care workers in three well-established hospitals in Erzurum, Turkey. Because of the discrete and ordered nature of the dependent variable of the survey, the data were analysed using four distinctive ordered response models. Results revealed that several key variables were found to be a significant determinant of workplace violence, such as the type of health institution, occupational position, weekly working hours, weekly shift hours, number of daily patient contacts, age group of the respondents, experience in the health sector, training against workplace violence and current policies of the hospitals and the Turkish Ministry of Health.     

Evaluation of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All injury program’s self-directed violence data,United States, 2018

Introduction: National estimates for nonfatal self-directed violence (SDV) presenting at EDs are calculated from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All Injury Program (NEISS–AIP). In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Consumer Product Safety Commission added several questions on patient characteristics and event circumstances for all intentional, nonfatal SDV captured in NEISS–AIP. In this study, we evaluated these additional questions along with the parent NEISS–AIP, which together is referred to as NEISS–AIP SDV for study purposes. Methods: We used a mixed methods design to evaluate the NEISS–AIP SDV as a surveillance system through an assessment of key system attributes. We reviewed data entry forms, the coding manual, and training materials to understand how the system functions. To identify strengths and weaknesses, we interviewed multiple key informants. Finally, we analyzed the NEISS–AIP SDV data from 2018—the most recent data year available—to assess data quality by examining the completeness of variables. Results: National estimates of SDV are calculated from NEISS–AIP SDV. Quality control activities suggest more than 99% of the cause and intent variables were coded consistently with the open text field that captures the medical chart narrative. Many SDV variables have open-ended response options, making them difficult to efficiently analyze. Conclusions: NEISS–AIP SDV provides the opportunity to describe systematically collected risk factors and characteristics associated with nonfatal SDV that are not regularly available through other data sources. With some modifications to data fields and yearly analysis of the additional SDV questions, NEISS–AIP SDV can be a valuable tool for informing suicide prevention. Practical Applications: NEISS-AIP may consider updating the SDV questions and responses and analyzing SDV data on a regular basis. Findings from analyses of the SDV data may lead to improvements in ED care.     

Guatemala: violence in peacetime--a critical analysis of the armed conflict and the peace process

The recent history of Guatemala is interpreted here using an interdisciplinary approach inspired by recent development and conflict studies. The author reflects on his experience in peace-building activities and uses a combination of primary and secondary sources to present the Guatemalan war as a complex political emergency. The first part (a methodological introduction) proposes an analytical framework, taking into account both the root causes and the different functions of violence, in order to achieve a better understanding of contemporary conflicts. In the second and central part of the article, the integrated framework is applied to Guatemala, trying to understand causes and functions of war and negotiation and underlining the existence of structural obstacles to a lasting peace. The conclusions are dedicated to policy implications: if the signing of peace accords represents only a step towards negative peace, the condition for a lasting peace is a strategy for reconciliation and development based on social participation and social justice.     

Frequency and determinants of recommended workplace violence prevention measures

PROBLEM: Limited information exists concerning adoption of workplace violence prevention measures by employers and the factors influencing their adoption. METHODS: A weighted sample of North Carolina workplaces (n=210) in operation January 1994 through March 1998 was used to estimate prevalence of 18 measures and identify community and workplace predictors of having >/=5 recommended measures. RESULTS: Location in a metropolitan area most strongly predicted presence of >/=5 administrative safety measures while a history of workplace violence and being in a high crime area were negatively associated. Belonging to an industry considered to be high-risk for workplace homicide was most strongly associated with having >/=5 environmental safety measures. DISCUSSION: Factors influencing high prevalence of violence prevention measures were related to business type, violence history, and location. Knowledge of factors influencing adoption of recommended workplace violence prevention measures can help tailor interventions to diverse industry settings. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: An important contribution to the understanding and mitigation of workplace homicide is knowledge of the extent of implementation of recommended workplace violence prevention guidelines and factors influencing their adoption. Identifying factors that influence the prevalence and adoption of workplace violence safety interventions can help to tailor development of interventions to address the issue of workplace homicide across diverse industry settings.     

Violence‐prevention climate,exposure to violence and aggression,and prevention behavior: A mediation model

This study explored mechanisms underlying employees' behaviors targeted at preventing workplace physical violence and verbal aggression. Poor psychological violence‐prevention climate perceptions and previous exposure to violence and aggression represent stressors that were associated with increased strains and reduced motivation. Strains and motivation, in turn, were related to prevention behaviors. We collected data from employee and coworker dyads, and structural equation modeling results supported that clear organizational policies, prompt management responses to assaults, and putting safety as a priority contributed positively to prevention behaviors through reduced strains and increased motivation. On the other hand, prior experiences of being attacked were related to more strains and lower motivation, which were related to lower prevention compliance. Our results inform future interventions for violence prevention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aid and Violence, with Special Reference to Sierra Leone

This paper looks at how departures from humanitarian principles can be accommodated, legitimised and obscured within the international humanitarian system. It looks particularly at the case of Sierra Leone between 1991 and 1995. It analyses how misinformation about the causes and dynamics of violence and regarding the aid system contribute to the erosion of humanitarian principles.     

Bridging international relations and disaster studies: the case of disaster–conflict scholarship

International relations and disaster studies have much to gain by thinking critically about their respective theoretical and epistemological assumptions. Yet, few studies to date have sought to assess the potential value of linking these two disciplines. This paper begins to address this shortfall by examining the relationship between disasters and conflict as a research sphere that intersects international relations and disaster studies. Through an analysis of whether or not disasters contribute to intra‐national and international conflict, this paper not only provides a review of the state of the art, but also serves to invite scholars to reflect on related concepts from other fields to strengthen their own approaches to the study of disasters in an international setting. An evaluation of the conceptual and theoretical contributions of each subject area provides useful heuristics for the development of disaster–conflict scholarship and encourages alternative modes of knowledge production through interdisciplinarity.     

How violence against women and girls undermines resilience to climate risks in Chad

What consequences does ‘everyday violence’ have on the abilities of survivors to protect themselves from further risks? This paper seeks to establish the linkages between violence and people's resilience capacities to survive and adapt to environmental changes, particularly those living in fragile economic and political contexts such as Chad. It investigates not only how the adverse consequences of violence against women and girls affect the health status and livelihoods of survivors, but also their capacities, and those of their household and community members, to further protect themselves from other risks. Empirical evidence collected in Chad as part of the BRACED (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters) programme shows that ‘everyday violence’ undermines resilience‐building at the individual, household, and community level. These results have serious implications for development programmes and the role they need to play to better promote both gender equality and resilience to shocks and stresses.     

氯化钠粉末对镁粉爆炸猛度的影响研究

通过对固体惰性介质在减轻镁粉爆炸作用的实验研究,给出影响固体惰化剂作用效果的主要影响因素。实验分别选用3种不同粒径的镁粉样品,并选取氯化钠粉末作为固体惰化介质,用20L球形爆炸测试装置进行实验,测定镁粉中加入不同含量的氯化钠粉未后镁粉爆炸的最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率值。结果表明：氯化钠粉末能够起到减轻镁粉爆炸影响的作用,并且随着镁粉粒度的减小,要达到相同的抑爆效果需要的氯化钠粉末的用量将加大。     

Using the 'protective environment' framework to analyse children's protection needs in Darfur

A major humanitarian concern during the continuing crisis in Darfur, Sudan, has been the protection of children, although there has been little in the way of comprehensive analysis to guide intervention. Founded on a situational analysis conducted between October 2005 and March 2006, this paper documents the significant threats to children's well-being directly linked to the political conflict. It demonstrates the role of non-conflict factors in exacerbating these dangers and in promoting additional protection violations, and it uses the 'protective environment' framework (UNICEF Sudan, 2006a) to identify systematic features of the current environment that put children at risk. This framework is shown to provide a coherent basis for assessment and planning, prompting broad, multidisciplinary analysis, concentrating on preventive and protective action, and fostering a systemic approach (rather than placing an undue focus on the discrete needs of 'vulnerable groups'). Constraints on its present utility in emergency settings are also noted.