Just another day at the office : a study on trivialization of violence.

• In Event: Race, Gender and Victimization

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to identify individual and organizational predictors of trivialization of violence in two workplaces: caregiving and law enforcement.

Methods: Based on data from a survey conducted among 1141 workers, individual (sex, age, exposure to violence) and contextual factors (violence prevention training, support from colleagues and supervisors, ‘zero tolerance’ management policy and safe physical environment) were used to predict trivialization of violence. Analyses were also conducted separately for women and men.

Findings: Men were more likely than women to think that violence is normal in their workplace. Law enforcers were more likely to refrain from complaining about violence in the workplace than caregivers. This result was especially significant in the women model, where the odds of tabooing violence doubled for law enforcers. Organizational factors were all negative predictors of tabooing violence. Trivialization was also associated with being witness of violent acts, not necessarily being the direct victim of them.

Implications: To decrease or prevent trivialization of violence in the workplace, organizations must consider the “professional identity” prone by the job, the sex of the workers, and the level of exposure to violence, while accentuating the presence of management policies as well as support from colleagues and employers.

Authors

• Steve Geoffrion, Université de Montréal

• Nathalie Lanctôt, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal

• Stéphane Guay, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal