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ascertain the scope of the problem and its effects on individuals, families, and
society". To date, no such standardised operational definition has evolved in this field.
Given this situation regarding definitions, the task for this investigation is to arrive at
a satisfactory definition for the purpose of this research. Therefore a broad
comprehensive defmition is adopted, as discussed below in Section 7.2.1.1.
2.4 Incidence of aggressive behaviour toward health professionals
A 1987 survey of 3000 hospital and community staff from a variety of
specialties, conducted in the United Kingdom by the Health Services Advisory
Committee (HSAC) revealed that 11% had received minor injuries from assault at
work in the previous twelve months. According to the estimates of the HSAC (1987),
over 100,000 National Health Service employees are assaulted every year and about
9% of staff in general hospitals had received physical injury from patient assault over
a twelve month period. Although this study was instrumental in bringing the risk of
work-related aggression and its sequelae of physical injuries to the attention of the
Government, there was no attempt to investigate professional consequences to victims
of aggression.
The Industrial Relations Services of the United Kingdom (m Zemike & Sharpe,
1998) ranked health care workers as the group of employees most at risk of assault.
This fact is supported by literature that details assaults to health care workers as
disproportionately high in comparison to that of other occupations (Bowie, 2000,
1989). Bowie (1989) reported tiiat health care workers have been cited as bemg 26
times more likely to be seriously injured by assault than the general public.
2.5 Incidence of aggression toward nurses: A unique experience
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Biennial Report to
the Minister of Healtii (1998, in Bowie, 2000), 272,370 AusUalians were employed in
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