Table 3.
Reactions to non‐physical workplace violence
| Variable | Verbal n (%) | Sexual n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Responses to violence | ||
| Took no action | 143 (46·3) | 17 (23·6) |
| Told the person to stop | 65 (21·0) | 40 (55·6) |
| Told family/friends | 18 (5·8) | 6 (8·3) |
| Told a colleague | 61 (19·7) | 29 (40·3) |
| Sought transfer to another unit | 4 (1·3) | 1 (1·4) |
| Completed an incident form | 6 (1·9) | 1 (1·4) |
| Sought help from association | 0 (0) | 8 (11·1) |
| Tried to pretend it never happened | 113 (36·6) | 8 (11·1) |
| Tried to defend myself physically | 0 (0) | 34 (47·2) |
| Sought counselling | 4 (1·3) | 1 (1·4) |
| Reported to a senior staff/in‐charge | 98 (31·7) | 3 (4·2) |
| Pursued prosecution | 1 (0·3) | 1 (1·4) |
| Was action taken to investigate the incident? YES | 58 (18·6) | 3 (4·2) |
| Reasons for not reporting incidents | ||
| It was not important | 118 (62·8) | 50 (80·6) |
| Such abuse is part of the job | 104 (55·3) | 7 (11·3) |
| I felt ashamed | 6 (3·2) | 14 (22·6) |
| I was afraid of negative consequences | 6 (3·2) | 2 (3·2) |
| No action will be taken if reported | 79 (42·0) | 12 (19·4) |
| Did not know whom to report to | 7 (3·7) | 33 (53·2) |
| Other reasons | 5 (2·7) | 6 (9·7) |
Source: Field Survey 2013–2014.