Attitude of medical staff towards victims of violence and assaults--a tentative explanation.
Crimes of violence have effects on health care, but have received insufficient attention as regards the questions of identifying hidden violence. What factors could be of relevance to the reception and help given to victims of violence? How much importance should be attributed to the sex factor in staff attitudes? The aim of the present study was to elucidate the attitudes of medical staff towards patients who were the victim of violence or assault. The study covered staff working in the emergency ward at the Central Hospital in Karlstad and at all the health care centres in Karlstad Police District. A questionnaire was sent out to all doctors and nurses at the units involved. In general, the results showed a great commitment and sense of responsibility, and a specific concentration of resources on female patients on the part of the female staff. The explanatory model revealed that attitudes of staff to victims of violence and assault are partly determined by the sex of the staff but that the place of work was definitely not without importance as an explanatory factor.
Renck
B
B
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014754:Violence