abstract: Attention is increasingly being paid to the issue of violence and aggression against clinical staff. This study carried out in England employed an anonymous semistructured questionnaire sent to all nursing, therapy and psychology staff in a unit providing services for older people and people who had suffered a head injury. The definition of violence was an open one, asking respondents about incidents 'in which violence or aggression was a feature and in which you were a victim'. The response rate to the questionnaire was 34 per cent. Fiftyone per cent of the staff had experienced an incident of violence or aggression in the previous year. Two respondents reported patient violence or aggression which they felt had been provoked by staff. Of those who reported consequences from the incident, psychological effects were the most common. Even though the trust in which the study was carried out had a staff support department, two thirds of the sample said they were unaware of its existence. The authors conclude by suggesting that a national survey of staff support initiatives may be worthwhile.