title: Management of violence in the workplace: a New Zealand survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the rate of adverse events to staff, to survey the use of various preventative measures, and to assess any association between these factors and the reported event rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous postal nation-wide survey of violence reported to managers of psychiatric units in New Zealand.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean rate of adverse event per 100 full time equivalent staff was 16.2 (range 0-187) for property damage, 16.3 (range 0-204) for attempted assault, 12 (range 0-194) for physical attack, 1.3 (range 0-33) for sexual harassment and 1.1 (range 0-17) for stalking. Inpatient units, the use of pocket alarms, and training in de-escalation were associated highly with an increase risk of adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a high variation in the rate of violence. The issue of increased rate of events with certain interventions will require further research.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Auckland, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pellett
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coverdale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paton Simpson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D009520:New Zealand; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*