title: Predictors of workplace violence among ambulance personnel: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine predictors of repeated confrontations with workplace violence among ambulance personnel, the proportion of exposure to potentially traumatic events that are aggression-related and to what extent personnel was able to prevent escalations. Although previous research assessed the prevalences among this group, little is known about predictors, to what extent PTE's are WPV-related and their abilities to prevent escalations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal study with a 6 months' time interval (N=103).
  
  
  METHODS
  At T1 demographics, workplace violence and potentially traumatic events in the past year, mental health, personality, handling of rules, coping and social organizational stressors were assessed. Confrontations with aggression were also examined at T2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that only problems with superiors independently predicted repeated verbal aggression and that only the (absence of the) ability to compromise very easily predicted repeatedly being on guard and repeatedly confronted with any form of aggression. Due to very low prevalences, we could not examine predictors of repeated confrontations with physical aggression (N=5) and serious threat (N=7). A large majority reported that in most workplace violence cases they could prevent further escalations. About 2% reported a potentially traumatic event in the year before T1 that was WPV related and perceived as very stressful.
authors.affiliation: INTERVICT Tilburg University Warandalaan 2 5037 AB Tilburg The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: van der Velden
authors.affiliation: INTERVICT Tilburg University Warandalaan 2 5037 AB Tilburg The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark W G
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bosmans
authors.affiliation: INTERVICT Tilburg University Warandalaan 2 5037 AB Tilburg The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
keywords: Aggression; ambulance personnel; coping; handling rules; nurses; organizational stress; personality; trauma; workplace violence