Victimhood Perceptions among Hospital Emergency Wards Staff

• In Event: Challenges for Service Providers and Medical Staff when Responding to Victims

Abstract

This study analyzes the perception of personal victimization among emergency wards (EW) personnel of all 25 general hospitals in Israel, using a self-report questionnaire (N=2,139). Victim’s professional and personal related variables, as well as structural features of hospitals were analyzed. Based on the participants’ reports, both their actual and their self-perception of victimization (SPV) to violence during the preceding year were measured. The multiple regression analysis explaining SPV was comprised of 16 independent variables, jointly explaining 44.3% of the variance. As expected, higher self-perception of victimization (SPV) was related to higher exposure to actual violence. However, unlike security and nursing staff, who are high on both actual and perceived victimization, among specialist MDs there is incongruence (gap) between their relatively low exposure to actual victimization and their perception of high personal victimization. Treating violent patients or relatives is conceived by them as hospital’s “dirty work”. Suggestions are put forward for further research in this area.

Author

• Judy BenDalak, The Western Galilee Academic College / The Hebrew University of Jerusalem