Understanding differences in the workplace violence experiences of teens and young adults.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brown B ; Casteel C ; Myers D ; Rauscher K
• Description:
  Background: Workplace violence is an important public health problem. While workers of all ages are affected, young workers under age 25 are at greater risk. Despite this, little is known about the problem of workplace violence among this population of workers and whether the experiences of teens are different from those of young adults. The objectives of our analysis were to: 1) identify common themes in how young workers under age 25 experience workplace violence and the consequences they suffer as a result; and 2) identify differences between teens and young adults in the experiences and consequences they report. Methods: We conducted a series of one-hour focus groups with 31 young people who had experienced any of the following forms of violence while at work: verbal abuse; threats; physical attacks; sexual harassment or assault; or bullying. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 21 college students at West Virginia University (13) and the University of Iowa (8), and two were conducted with a total of 10 high school students in West Virginia (5) and Iowa (5). A focus group guide was used to ensure reliability and validity of the data collected across all focus groups. Sessions were audio recorded and later transcribed. Notes were also taken by several members of the study team and debriefing sessions with the study team were also conducted after each session. The transcribed recordings, focus group notes, and debriefing notes were analyzed by two separate members of the study team using independent theme analysis. The identified themes were considered by members of the study team and key issues of concern were identified. Results: Our qualitative analysis identified the following major themes among all young workers: verbal abuse and sexual harassment common; social media used to bully and sexually harass; micro-aggressions; differential treatment by supervisors; negative impacts on work, school and relationships; negative mental health impacts; maladaptive coping strategies; tolerating or ignoring the behavior or removing oneself from the situation versus reporting (fears). Themes particular to college students included: sees workplace violence as a problem; use of power by supervisors; management focus on customer not employee during violent event; and cliques among co-workers. Themes particular to high school students were: worries about being left alone at work; bullying episodes; supervisor mistreatment; generational issues as cause; and reports to parents not supervisors. Discussion: Working teens and young adults are often categorized and viewed as a homogeneous group of "young workers." Results from this study indicate that when it comes to workplace violence, experiences between high school students and those only a few years older are similar yet some clear differences exist that warrant further study. By understanding the differences between young workers of different ages, and therefore, stages of development, we are able to create more effective age-appropriate workplace violence prevention and response programs and training.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Paint Preceptorship Safety Staff Development Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Abuse Adolescents Bullying Mental Health Psychological Effects Teenagers Violence Prevention Workplace Violence Young Workers
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  48-49
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063741
• Citation:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018 Oct; :48-49
• Contact Point Address:
  Brandy Brown, OTD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor, West Virginia University, School of Medicine/OT, 1 Medical Center Dr, PO Box 9139, Morgantown, WV 26506
• Email:
  BKenned2@hsc.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20150930
• Source Full Name:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia
• End Date:
  20180929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d5a106ee7e76be0d2da602ff7c0773c92c7e53e2def9b3abb0992098b54686eb6c34bcf1f20d546d68fd4594ca0d5dc642f2d0f3c12a83184bf37e0baaea4707
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181925/cdc_181925_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 41.36 KB ]