Exploring Differences in the Workplace Violence Experiences of Young Workers in Middle and Late Adolescence in the United States

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brown B ; Casteel C ; Myers D ; Rauscher, Kimberly
• Description:
  Problem: Young workers, typically characterized as 15-24 years of age, are commonly employed in jobs where the risk of workplace violence is high. It is unknown how these young workers, at varying stages of development, might understand and respond to workplace violence differently. We set out to explore whether the experiences and understandings of young workers varied between those in middle (ages 15-17) and late (ages 18-24) adolescence. Method: Separate focus groups were conducted with working students (n = 31), ages 15-17 and ages 18-24, who had either experienced or witnessed workplace violence. A focus group guide was used to facilitate the sessions which were recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed for themes. Results: Those in the older group experienced more severe episodes of sexual harassment and physical assault, reported using formal mechanisms for reporting, and noticed an employer focus on customer satisfaction over employee safety, while the younger participants tended to report to their parents. Both groups reported negative effects of experiencing workplace violence including depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, and spill over into personal life. Discussion: Findings suggest that young workers at different developmental stages may experience and respond to workplace violence differently. Further research is needed to see if these results are generalizable. Summary: It is imperative that we understand the distinct differences between these subsets of young workers and how they experience and respond to workplace violence in order to improve research, policy development, and prevention/intervention mechanisms. Practical Applications: Understanding that differences exist among young workers based on age due to developmental stage, lack of experience, education, and social awareness can enable employers, companies, policy makers, and researchers the opportunity to better address the issue of workplace violence in this population. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Age Factors Aging Mental Health Occupational Health Safety Violence Workplace
• Keywords:
  Adolescent Development Adolescents Age Factors Age Groups Assaults Author Keywords: Young Workers Psychological Effects Qualitative Methods Safety Research Workplace Violence Young Workers

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• ISSN:
  0022-4375
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  263-269
• Volume:
  74
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060552
• Citation:
  J Safety Res 2020 Sep; 74:263-269
• Contact Point Address:
  Brandy Brown, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
• Email:
  bkenned2@hsc.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20150930
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Safety Research
• End Date:
  20180929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d10d090cb73e368f293dfbb8bc45c67d373fd667e8f31a76ed94c03c4490076b22d89b0f1fa563e65e529fddb604fbdce49f84a79dc623db0dccf0cfb8d9b13
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224418/cdc_224418_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 270.31 KB ]