Types of violent behaviour

The HSE lists the following examples of violent and aggressive behaviour as experienced by health service workers:

• a carer bitten by a person with learning disabilities in the course of the normal care of that person;

• an irate visitor who considers that his relative has not been properly treated verbally abusing a ward manager;

• a nurse verbally abused and threatened by a patient who is unwilling to take prescribed medication; and

• a catering assistant providing refreshments being hit by a confused elderly patient.

NHS Protect, the body responsible for tackling crime across the health service, has provided a non-exhaustive list of examples of physical and non-physical assault. These examples are relevant to workplaces in other sectors.

Physical assault includes: punching, kicking, head butting, striking with a weapon or object, throwing a weapon or object where contact is made, spitting at a person.

Non-physical assault includes: offensive language, verbal abuse, swearing; unwanted or abusive remarks of a sexual nature; racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory remarks; offensive gestures; threats whether verbal or physical; bullying or intimidating behaviour; attempted assault where contact is not made, including spitting; brandishing weapons or objects which could be used to inflict harm; throwing a weapon or object and missing; and stalking or other forms of harassment.