Table 2.
Types of violence.
| Physical Violence (n = 1957 *) | n (%) | Verbal/Non-Physical Violence (n = 2761 *) | n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grabbing | 1179 (60%) | Swearing | 2310 (84%) |
| Hitting | 1166 (60%) | Rudeness | 2214 (80%) |
| Destructive behaviour e.g., punching safety glass, table etc. | 1084 (55%) | Anger | 2181 (79%) |
| Spitting | 1038 (53%) | Shouting | 2046 (74%) |
| Kicking | 1032 (53%) | Making unreasonable demands | 2008 (73%) |
| Pushing | 1029 (53%) | Insulting/questioning professional ability e.g., incompetent, incapable, threatening registration | 1767 (64%) |
| Punching | 1011 (52%) | Sarcasm | 1674 (61%) |
| Scratching | 809 (41%) | Name calling | 1545 (56%) |
| Grabbing and twisting a body part | 719 (37%) | Stepping into personal space | 1249 (45%) |
| Throwing/struck with an object | 664 (34%) | Threatening comments—to self, family or property | 1109 (42%) |
| Use of non-traditional weapons e.g., sharps, IV poles, chair | 583 (30%) | Ridicule in front of others | 1109 (40%) |
| Biting | 575 (29%) | Unjustified criticism | 1064 (39%) |
| Inappropriate physical contact | 558 (29%) | Symbolic violence e.g., punching/hitting glass/desk at triage | 1032 (37%) |
| Body fluids thrown e.g., blood, urine, faeces | 388 (20%) | Staring | 899 (33%) |
| Pulling hair/jewellery/clothing | 377 (19%) | Gesturing | 890 (32%) |
| Restraining/immobilising staff | 250 (13%) | Sexually inappropriate behaviour | 699 (25%) |
| Inappropriate sexual conduct | 247 (13%) | Berating | 685 (25%) |
| Damage to personal property e.g., tyres slashed | 175 (9%) | Formal complaints without cause | 512 (19%) |
| Choking/strangling | 168 (9%) | Rumour mongering | 462 (17%) |
| Use of a traditional weapon e.g., knife | 105 (9%) | Taunting | 461 (17%) |
| Sexual assault | 35 (2%) | Taking photographs | 259 (9%) |
| Use of social media | 128 (5%) |
* multiple responses per variable allowed.