The Cycle of Verbal Violence Among Nurse Colleagues in South Korea

Abstract

In Korea, suicide by nurses due to workplace verbal violence has become a serious social controversy. This study used a descriptive survey to identify factors influencing nurses’ experiences with being either victims or perpetrators of verbal violence among colleagues. Participants were 205 nurses working at large-scale general hospitals in D city in August 2019. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires on experiences of verbal violence, committing acts of verbal violence, demographic characteristics, and job stress. For experiences of verbal violence, statistically significant differences were observed in age, gender, and nightshift work. Committing acts of verbal violence showed statistically significant differences in age, gender, entire career experience, career experience in one’s present division, and nightshift work. A significant correlation was found between experiences of verbal violence, committing acts of verbal violence, and job stress. Gender and nightshift work influenced experiences of verbal violence in Model 1, while gender, nightshift work, and relationship conflicts were extracted in Model 2. In Model 3, career experience and committing acts of verbal violence were found to be significant. For committing acts of verbal violence, gender, nightshift work, and career experience were extracted in Model 1; gender, nightshift work, and relationship conflict were extracted in Model 2; and nightshift work, career experience, and experiences of verbal violence were significant in Model 3. Regarding verbal violence among nurses, a vicious cycle caused by job stress exists, in which newly hired nurses are often victims of verbal violence; however, as they gain career experience, they become the perpetrators. Therefore, to reduce nurses’ job stress, it is necessary to operate job stress-control programs by career level, promote conversations among nurses to increase understanding of each other, and build a culture of mutual respect.

Predictors of events of violence or aggression against nurses in the workplace: A scoping review

“…Another factor is younger age. Several studies found that those aged <35 years were most at risk (Boafo & Hancock, 2017 ; Cheung & Yip, 2017 ; Evers et al, 2002 ; Hahn et al, 2010 ; Kobayashi et al, 2020 ; Park & Choi, 2020 ; Sakellaropoulos et al, 2011 ; Yang et al, 2012 ). In particular, being younger than one's patients was another factor that increases the risk of suffering violence (Nguluwe et al, 2016 ).…”

A gender-based review of workplace violence amongst the global health workforce—A scoping review of the literature

“…Not all studies were aimed at assessing workplace violence based on gender; therefore, we included all studies that either provided data on gender-based workplace violence or findings that indicated gender was a factor for WPV or a predictor for various outcomes of WPV. The latter group of studies had various aims, including: to assess factors associated with workplace violence [ 19 , 27 – 33 , 139 , 204 – 207 , 243 ], to assess the association between aggression, psychological distress, and job satisfaction [ 34 , 35 , 120 , 187 ], to determine injuries resulting from physical assaults [ 203 ], to determine the relationship between WPV and psychological and behavioral responses [ 35 – 37 , 161 , 200 , 202 , 208 – 211 ], to assess effects of lateral violence and its consequences [ 38 , 212 ], and to assess the preparedness to respond to sexual harassment before and after a workshop [ 39 , 65 ]. In addition to gender as the basis for WPV, we classified other factors associated with WPV that were not explicitly gendered, such as age and status (presented below).…”

“…However, women also experienced physical violence [ 7 , 99 , 106 , 110 , 114 , 124 , 125 , 136 , 142 , 148 , 164 , 176 , 178 , 183 , 188 – 191 , 214 ], threats [ 11 , 41 , 93 , 200 ], and aggression [ 90 , 113 , 166 ] from various sources. Men also experienced non-physical violence, including verbal [ 11 , 12 , 70 , 72 , 97 , 112 , 115 , 139 , 142 , 146 , 167 – 169 , 174 , 186 , 199 , 200 , 202 , 243 ], sexual harassment [ 115 , 156 , 164 , 167 , 186 , 199 , 200 ], bullying [ 43 , 120 , 129 , 145...…”

“…Younger age was found to be a significant risk factor for violence by several studies for both male and female healthcare providers [ 7 , 12 , 14 , 33 , 35 , 36 , 47 – 50 , 73 , 76 , 78 , 83 , 89 , 91 , 92 , 96 , 98 , 103 , 123 , 139 , 141 , 147 , 152 , 165 , 190 , 195 , 198 , 219 , 224 ]. The studies that reported a higher prevalence of WPV in general for women also reported that the younger age of the health care provider was associated with a higher risk of violence in various contexts, including verbal abuse [ 14 , 36 , 83 , 92 , 98 , 123 , 204 , 219 ], bullying, or mobbing [ 14 , 47 , 50 , 73 , 165 , 226 ], sexual harassment [ 12 , 36 , 44 , 49 , 78 , 152 , 224 ] and aggress...…”

“…The studies that reported a higher prevalence of WPV in general for women also reported that the younger age of the health care provider was associated with a higher risk of violence in various contexts, including verbal abuse [ 14 , 36 , 83 , 92 , 98 , 123 , 204 , 219 ], bullying, or mobbing [ 14 , 47 , 50 , 73 , 165 , 226 ], sexual harassment [ 12 , 36 , 44 , 49 , 78 , 152 , 224 ] and aggression [ 147 , 159 ]. A few studies reported a higher prevalence of violence among males, especially of a younger age, who were at increased risk of verbal violence [ 139 ] and bullying among nurses [ 211 , 218 ] and physical violence among physicians, nurses, and others [ 195 , 224 ]. Some studies found that advanced age was a protective factor that decreased the risk of WPV [ 36 , 89 , 91 , 191 ].…”