In recent days, yet another case of violence has made headlines — this time one experienced by an employee of the Ljubljana Community Health Centre (Zdravstveni dom Ljubljana). Although it ranks among the most heavily publicized incidents, it is far from the only one. Not because the media would not want to report on other cases, but because the vast majority of them never reach the public at all.
This is not a conspiracy, deliberate news placement, or the concealment of real figures — the fact is that, in most cases, not even the management of healthcare institutions has an overview of the violence their employees face.
Over the past two years, the team at IVSR – Institute for Security and Strategic Research has carried out workplace-violence prevention projects in just over ten different healthcare institutions. An analysis of the actual incidence of violence against employees is always part of these projects. And the finding that surprises us every time? Most victims of violence do not report it — neither to management nor to the police.
The data we have collected over the past two years shows the following:
- On average, 49 % of healthcare employees are exposed to psychological violence each year, yet only 19 % report it to the institution's management or the police — that is, one in five victims of psychological violence.
- On average, 5 % of healthcare employees are exposed to physical violence each year, yet only 26 % report it to the institution's management or the police — that is, one in four victims of physical violence.
Amending the legislation
The Medical Chamber of Slovenia recently drafted a proposed amendment to the Slovenian Criminal Code (KZ-1) introducing a new criminal offence, Assault on a Healthcare Worker. The primary aim of the proposal is harsher punishment for violent offenders. And although we believe such a legislative change would bring certain positive effects, harsher sentencing alone will not be enough to ensure safe workplaces in the long run.
The discussion around the proposed amendment focuses solely on harsher punishment, while no one is proposing better measures for reporting, detecting, and investigating cases of violence. Why does this matter? Because scientific research in the field of crime prevention teaches us that the likelihood of a crime being committed is influenced far more by the probability that the offender will be caught and punished than by the severity of the punishment. In practice, this means that (potential) offenders see no meaningful difference between six and twelve months of imprisonment — but they understand very well the difference between freedom and prison.
It is therefore essential that healthcare institutions also devote attention to measures that will improve the detection and reporting of violence against employees. A longer prison sentence will not improve the situation as long as only one in four victims reports physical violence. Why do victims choose not to report violence more often? In our work with healthcare institutions, these are the answers we hear most frequently:
- Unclear reporting channels, poor communication with management, and not knowing who is responsible for receiving reports of violence.
- Unclear procedures for dealing with violence, and non-transparent, “ad-hoc” handling of individual cases.
- “What would we even achieve by reporting it?”
- Low trust in the work of law enforcement and the courts.
- Fear of retaliation by offenders.
Healthcare institutions could resolve at least some of these issues through:
- Employee education and awareness-raising.
- Modernized reporting channels and clearly defined procedures for handling reports of violence.
- Regular cooperation with the local police station and the community policing officer.
- Implementation of technical solutions that make it easier to detect violent individuals.
And while we are on the subject of amending legislation: the Slovenian Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1) stipulates that employers must ensure safe working conditions — an obligation that, in the context of violence prevention, most healthcare institutions understand merely as preventing workplace bullying. The Act explicitly requires employers to adopt measures against workplace bullying, but not against other forms of violence targeting employees. As a result, most healthcare institutions have workplace bullying properly regulated, while preventive measures against other forms of violence are usually missing.
How to approach violence prevention?
So how should an organization go about preventing violence? The first step is to gain a realistic picture of conditions within the organization. This allows management to adopt targeted measures that address the most pressing risks. Among other things, this includes:
- Adopting appropriate internal policies, instructions, and protocols that define the procedures for preventing, recognizing, and handling individual cases of violence.
- Establishing a system of employee education, training, and awareness-raising.
- Adopting measures to maintain a positive working climate and sound interpersonal relationships.
- Providing safe infrastructure and work equipment.
- Providing appropriate technical and physical security solutions.
For more information about our approach to violence prevention, visit https://ivsr.si/varnost-na-kljuc/preprecevanje-nasilja-in-amok-situacij/ or write to us at [email protected].