Search Results (58)

In recent years, Italy has experienced a significant increase in violence against healthcare workers, mirroring a global trend. Manifesting as verbal, physical, psychological, and material aggression, this phenomenon endangers both personnel safety and the foundational principles of the National Health Service (SSN) as outlined in Article 32 of the Italian Constitution. The escalation—most acute in emergency departments, psychiatric units, inpatient wards, and community services—affects a broad spectrum of professionals, compromising care quality and institutional integrity. Data from the FNOMCeO-CENSIS Report 2023–2024 reveal over 18,000 reported incidents in 2024, with verbal assaults disproportionately affecting female nursing staff. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated systemic vulnerabilities, heightening user dissatisfaction and psychological strain among healthcare providers. In response, legislative actions—such as Law No. 113/2020 and Decree-Law No. 137/2024—aim to strengthen prevention, monitoring, and penal measures. This article examines legal, institutional, and organizational responses, including on-the-ground and hospital-based strategies to mitigate violence. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, it analyzes recent policy developments, regional dynamics, and victim-perpetrator profiles, arguing that safeguarding healthcare environments is both a public security priority and an ethical imperative essential to preserving the dignity of care work and the resilience of the health system. Full article

Background/Objectives: Aggression in adolescents with autism, particularly those with high-functioning autism (HFA), presents a unique clinical profile. The aim of this study was to assess and compare anger expression and regulation in adolescents with HFA, those diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD), and a control group with no psychiatric diagnoses. Methods: A total of 120 adolescents aged 14–17 were divided into three equal groups: 40 with HFA, 40 with CD, and 40 controls. Participants were assessed using the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), which measures emotional intensity, trait predisposition, and modes of anger expression and control. Non-parametric statistical analyses were conducted to examine group differences. Results: Statistically significant differences were found across most STAXI-2 scales. Adolescents with CD exhibited the highest scores on anger intensity and expression, followed—at a lower level—by those with HFA. The autism group showed significantly elevated levels of verbal anger expression and frustration reactivity compared to controls, but lower tendencies for physical aggression. Trait anger was also higher in the HFA group, particularly in response to frustration or criticism. No significant differences were found between the HFA and control groups on anger control scales individually; however, the overall Anger Expression Index was significantly elevated in HFA, reflecting a global imbalance between anger expression and regulation. Conclusions: Adolescents with high-functioning autism exhibit a distinct profile of emotional dysregulation, characterized by increased verbal anger and frustration sensitivity, despite lower levels of overt aggression. This comparative pilot study contributes to a better understanding of emotional dysregulation and anger expression in adolescents with HFA. These findings highlight the need for tailored emotion regulation interventions. School-based programs focused on emotional awareness and verbal anger management could offer meaningful benefits for this population. Future research should expand sample diversity, explore gender differences, include common comorbidities like ADHD, and investigate longitudinal and neurobiological patterns of anger regulation in ASD. Full article

Workplace violence is a widespread issue affecting hospital nursing staff and significantly undermines their psychological well-being. Such violence originates from various sources, including users, colleagues, and supervisors. Psychological resilience has been linked to more favourable indicators of well-being. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore how different sources of workplace violence (users, colleagues, and supervisors) are related to psychological well-being and psychological resilience. Additionally, it examines whether resilience is statistically associated with a mediating role in the relationship between source-specific workplace violence and the psychological well-being of hospital nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicentre, descriptive, and mediational study was conducted with a sample of 447 hospital nurses. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing workplace violence from users, colleagues, and supervisors, alongside measures of resilience, psychological well-being, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Among all reported incidents of workplace violence in the previous year, 69.2% were attributed to users, with verbal abuse (68.7%) being more prevalent than physical aggression (24.1%). Additionally, 37% of nurses reported experiencing violence from colleagues, and 25% from supervisors. Workplace violence from all three sources was significantly associated with both psychological well-being and resilience. Resilience was statistically associated with a mediating role in the relationship between workplace violence and nurses’ psychological health, suggesting a potential mechanism of influence without implying causality. Conclusions: The prevalence of workplace violence from users, colleagues, and supervisors among hospital nurses is notably high. Findings indicate that violence from any of these sources is negatively associated with psychological well-being. However, resilience mitigates this impact by reducing psychological distress, positioning it as a crucial personal resource for nurses facing such adversity. These results underscore the need for interventions aimed at developing and strengthening resilience among hospital nursing staff. Moreover, the findings can inform the design of organisational strategies to prevent violence and to promote resilience and well-being within healthcare settings. Full article

This study aims to analyze maladaptive schemas through the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 among 895 high school students, with an average age of 18.15 years, in relation to the potentially traumatic experience of being the victim of violence inflicted by family members through hitting and beating and in connection with violent behavior (in and outside school). Almost half of the students reported that, in their families, there were prolonged problems in the couple relationship of their parents/caregivers, and almost 40% of these students were involved from time to time in at least one form of violence in or outside school, with the highest share of this violence resulting from physical aggression by hitting and pushing and verbal or emotional abuse. A factor analysis was performed using a unifactorial model and a mediation model, and it indicated that the presence of trauma increases the total violence score. A higher violence score was recorded in students who were subjected to family violence (t(890) = −6.267, p < 0.001). The schemas that proved to be the most relevant for the violence factor were those of Punitiveness (PU: 0.89) and Mistrust/Abuse (MA: 0.77), followed by the schemas of Emotional Inhibition (EI: 0.68), Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness (US: 0.63), and Entitlement/Grandiosity (ET: 0.58). The mediation that the Punitiveness schema achieves between victimization in the family and subsequent aggressive behavior is based on the internalization of the punitive parental figure and the victim’s development of the belief that violence is the only answer when others do not meet their expectations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Violence in healthcare settings, especially in emergency departments (ED), remains an important public health issue worldwide. Thus, additional insight into the effect of these incidents into nurses’ professional attitudes, their work life and related implications to patient safety issues may be valuable. We investigated ED nurses’ living experience of exposure to workplace violence by healthcare service users, with focus on the impact on them. Methods: Following a qualitative study design, data were collected (January–June 2024) through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and were analyzed according to an inductive, content analysis approach. Participants provided informed consent, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Results: The sample included six nurses. Various forms of workplace violence and its psychological, social, and professional consequences were identified. Violence was more frequently perpetrated by patients’ relatives, with verbal aggression being the most common form. A fundamental divergence in needs and expectation between patients and their family members/caregivers, on one side, and participants, on the other, revealed a pronounced empathy gap. Each group remained focused on its own priorities while struggling to recognize or accommodate others’ perspectives. This lack of mutual understanding contributed to tension that, in some cases, escalated even into physically violent incidents against the participants. A similar gap was identified between the participants’ needs and administrators’ attitudes and related policies. The failure of administrative measures to bridge this gap was described as a crucial factor in further escalating conflicts and tension in the ED. Conclusions: Further research on quality improvement projects, including all stakeholders, aiming to enhance empathy in all parties involved is proposed. Full article

Brazilian jiu-jitsu engagement has been found to positively impact psychological variables in children, adolescents, and adult athletes. Psychological variabilities have previously been shown among belt ranks in Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore the differences in mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, aggression, life satisfaction, and mental health disorders among the Brazilian jiu-jitsu belt ranks. Methods: A sample of 420 Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes (78.8% male), including 121 white belts, 118 blue belts, 78 purple belts, 46 brown belts, and 57 black belts, between 18 and 60 years of age, completed the Mental Strength Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Grit Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, Brief Aggression Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Mental Health Disorders Screening Instrument for Athletes. Results: Results showed that Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts presented significantly higher mental strength, resilience, self-efficacy, self-control, life satisfaction, and lower mental health disorders than white belts. No significant differences were found between white and black belts in aggression (total, physical aggression, anger, verbal aggression, and hostility). Brazilian jiu-jitsu training experience positively correlated (small effect) with mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, physical and verbal aggression, and life satisfaction. Conclusions: In conclusion, the results are suggestive that Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts are generally more likely to present higher mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, life satisfaction, and better mental health than white belts, with no differences in aggression. More experienced Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes were more likely to present higher mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, physical and verbal aggression, and life satisfaction than less experienced athletes. Future studies are encouraged to investigate whether the effects found in the current study would remain after controlling for the athlete’s age. Full article

Background/Objectives: Violence against workers (physical, verbal, or psychological abuse), even if it affects all professional categories, is up to ten times higher in healthcare workers. A University Hospital of Central Italy has gradually implemented a series of preventive measures, which might have impacted the trend of the phenomenon. Methods: In order to monitor the episodes, an aggressive event reporting form was adopted throughout the hospital. Data extracted both from this form and the root cause analysis documentation regarding the period January 2019–December 2023 were used. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-squares test, while the join point regression program was used to analyze the trends. Results: The average age of the sample is 43.5 years, with twice as many female workers as male workers. Nurses are more frequently involved (76.6%), and 58% of the events involved 2 to 4 HWs. Verbal violence was reported by 51.2% of HWs, and over 35% of them did not suffer any damage, while 25% suffered mild to moderate damage (illness, injury, or material harm, whether physical or psychological). The hospital divisions which are primarily concerned are the Psychiatry department (36.2%) and the Emergency Room (33.4%). There is no difference in hospital management of aggressive events between males and females. Join point regression analyses showed that there was a significant increase in the reporting of episodes of aggression. Conclusions: The presence of a strong culture of reporting among HWs guarantees a seemingly constant increase in the reporting of nonphysical forms of violence. The statistically significant differences found will allow hospital management to categorize the risk levels and act accordingly. Full article

Background and Objectives: The use of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AASs) by competitive and recreational athletes has been studied and well documented. There are numerous studies showing its effects on personality traits and risky behaviors like aggression. The relationship between AAS use, aggression, and narcissism is complex and intricate. We examined this relationship in male bodybuilders who use AASs. Materials and Methods: A total of 319 healthy subjects aged 18–44 years (33.4 ± 9.4) who have been regularly training at bodybuilding for at least 3 years participated voluntarily in the study and completed a demographic data inventory, the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory Short Form (FFNI-SF), and the Buss–Perry Aggression Scale anonymously. Demographic data were given as percentages, comparisons of aggression and narcissism scores according to AAS use were performed by using an independent sample t test, and effects of narcissism and aggression levels on AAS use was assessed by using logistic regression analysis. All analyses were performed by using SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results: Results showed that AAS users had significantly higher scores on the overall FFNI-SF Scale (p < 0.001) and all sub-dimensions of narcissism (p < 0.001) and on the overall Buss–Perry Aggression Scale (p < 0.001) and all sub-dimensions of aggression (p < 0.001). It was also shown that there were significant and positive correlations between the FFNI-SF overall score (p < 0.001) and both the vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism sub-dimensions (p < 0.001) and the scores of the Buss–Perry Aggression Scale (p < 0.001), physical aggression (p < 0.001), anger (p < 0.001), hostility (p < 0.001), and verbal aggression (p < 0.001) sub-dimensions. Conclusions: These results show a strong relation between AAS use, narcissism, and aggression in bodybuilders. However, it is not clear whether AAS use leads to aggression and narcissism or whether narcissistic and/or aggressive people tend to use AASs. Furthermore, including a lot of potential third variables shows that it does not have to be either one or the other way around. There is a need to conduct future studies to determine this causality. Full article

Purpose—This study aimed to provide a comprehensive report of workplace violence (WPV) at a psychiatric hospital in Gambia. Design/methodology/approach—A cross-sectional study involving self-administered questionnaires and an in-depth interview was conducted with 54 staff at the hospital and six senior managers of mental health treatment in Gambia. A descriptive statistical approach was applied to determine the prevalence, and a logistic regression approach was used to identify factors associated with violence at the hospital. The data from the in-depth interviews on WPV policies in Gambia were analysed thematically. Results—In the 12 months before the research, 55.6% of the respondents had been exposed to violence; of those, 46.3%, 27.8%, and 5.6% had experienced verbal abuse, physical assault, and sexual harassment, respectively. Inadequate staff, insufficient security measures, and insufficient medications were perceived by respondents as the causes of the violence. However, the level of professionalism, the kind of services provided by staff, and shift of work were strongly connected with violence. As a result of WPV, victims had injuries, posttraumatic stress disorder signs/symptoms, and work dissatisfaction. The interviewees also expressed concern about the lack of WPV polices and the necessity of creating such polices as soon as possible. Value—According to the research, there is an elevated risk of violence among the hospital staff. As a result, the hospital’s structure needs to change, staff members should receive training on how to address aggressive patients, and a constructive WPV policy should be created. Full article

Growth in forms of violence germinates from the abject soil of racism and colonialism. This article investigates religious racism in Brazil in the State of Rio de Janeiro through in-depth case studies and published data. First, I analyze how religious racism is utilized as a means to legitimize the demonization and consequent violence directed at Afro-Brazilian religions. Through an analysis of terreiro leaders’ discourses, I present a conception in which demonization and deliberate attacks imply the persecution of ways of being, existing, doing, and living of Black African origin. I use this lens to highlight the role that neo-Pentecostal churches and the theology of spiritual battle play in the resurgence of violence against Afro-religious people. Then, I problematize the harmful relationships between the demonization of terreiros and the extremely warlike conception of Christian faith. Ultimately, I argue that racist theological discourse of demonization manifests itself through verbal, physical, psychological, moral, and patrimonial aggression, putting the existence of terreiro peoples and communities at risk. Full article

Background: Healthcare professionals frequently encounter various forms of aggression, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assaults, which can compromise both their occupational well-being and patient-care quality. Despite its prevalence and serious consequences, workplace aggression is often underreported due to a lack of standardized assessment tools. This study aims to develop a valid Italian version of the Hospital Aggressive Behaviour Scale-Users. Methods: The scale’s structure was evaluated using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses on two samples of healthcare professionals during and after the pandemic. Reliability, measurement invariance, and nomological validity were examined. Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure comprising eight items (χ² = 59.651, df = 13, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.07; SRMR = 0.02), distinguishing non-physical and physical aggression, and meeting all recommended criteria. CFA confirmed this structure, demonstrating good reliability and outperforming alternative models. The same factor structure was confirmed in standard (χ² = 35.01, df = 19, p = 0.00; CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.03; SRMR = 0.02) and emergency (χ² = 30.65, df = 19, p = 0.04; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.06; SRMR = 0.04) contexts. Full residual invariance was found across job tenure groups. Aggression was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, psychological distance, psychosomatic symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and turnover intentions while negatively related to job satisfaction. Nurses and healthcare assistants reported higher levels of aggression than doctors. Conclusions: This study provides a reliable, context-specific instrument for documenting and analysing outsider aggression. The insights can inform targeted interventions, contributing to a healthier hospital environment. Full article

With increasing mental health risks among school populations and prevalent bullying, school mental health professionals (SMHP) are crucial globally. This study explores the perspectives of SMHP on bullying in Omani schools, focussing on definitions, types, current practices, and future strategies. Involving 50 Omani SMHP from Muscat Governorate with at least three years of experience, data was collected through structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. Six key themes emerged: The definition of bullying, its components, common types, current anti-bullying practices, challenges, and future suggestions. Bullying, termed “سلوكعدواني” (Suluk Audwani), meaning aggressive behavior, includes five components: perpetrators, victims, harmful behavior, spectators, and psychosocial factors. Verbal bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying are common and vary by age. SMHP frequently employ awareness-raising and psychological first aid. Challenges include resistance from students and parents and institutional barriers. In the future, SMHP will emphasize greater awareness to effectively address Suluk Audwani. Oman has adopted international best practices to recruit SMHP. SMHP’s perspectives on Suluk Audwani reflect both their training and Omani cultural influences. Future research should explore various social strata to improve evidence-based understanding and prevention of Suluk Audwani. Full article

Physical features that are desired by the opposite sex may drive competition between members of the same sex to gain access to potential mates. Women’s breasts are considered sexually attractive to men, and it has been shown that women may engage in competitive tactics to compete with or derogate women with ideal physical traits (i.e., physically attractive features). In the current online study, we investigated Hispanic women’s (n = 114) perceptions of breast stimuli that had been manipulated to display four levels of breast size (A-, B-, C-, and D-cup) and three levels of ptosis (i.e., levels of sagginess: non, low, and high) and their likelihood of engaging in rival derogation tactics, such as verbal and indirect aggression. The findings demonstrated that women were more likely to engage in rival derogation towards women with larger breast sizes. Women’s dispositional level of intrasexual competition did not play a role in rival derogation tactics. The results are in line with previous research suggesting that women’s rival derogation tactics are likely to be targeted towards women with attractive features that are desired by men. Full article

Serotonergic neurotransmission has been associated with aggression in several psychiatric disorders. Human aggression is a continuum of traits, ranging from normal to pathological phenomena. However, the individual differences in serotonergic neurotransmission and their relationships with aggression traits in healthy individuals remain unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between 5-HT2A receptor availability in vivo and aggression traits in healthy participants. Thirty-three healthy participants underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) with [¹¹C]MDL100907, a selective radioligand for 5-HT2A receptors. To quantify 5-HT2A receptor availability, the binding potential (BP_ND) was derived using the basis function implementation of the simplified reference tissue model, with the cerebellum as the reference region. The participants’ aggression levels were assessed using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The voxel-based correlation analysis with age and sex as covariates revealed that the total aggression score was significantly positively correlated with [¹¹C]MDL100907 BP_ND in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) pole, left fusiform gyrus (FUSI), right parahippocampal gyrus, and right hippocampus. The physical aggression subscale score had significant positive correlations with [¹¹C]MDL100907 BP_ND in the left olfactory cortex, left orbital superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, left orbitomedial SFG, left gyrus rectus, left MTG, left inferior temporal gyrus, and left angular gyrus. The verbal aggression subscale score showed significant positive correlations with [¹¹C]MDL100907 BP_ND in the bilateral SFG, right medial SFG, left FUSI, and right MTG pole. Overall, our findings suggest the possibility of positive correlations between aggression traits and in vivo 5-HT2A receptor availability in healthy individuals. Future research should incorporate multimodal neuroimaging to investigate the downstream effects of 5-HT2A receptor-mediated signaling and integrate molecular and systems-level information in relation to aggression traits. Full article

The article examines the influence of two of the main social environments on students’ aggressive behaviours. On the one hand, attention is paid to the general socio-psychological climate in the family environment and the attitude of the parents towards the child; and on the other hand, a less frequently studied aspect related to aggressive manifestations of the children and adolescents towards the parents is addressed. The study explores how watching TV shows and movies, as well as video games, in which aggression and violence predominate, is connected to the frequency and degree of manifestation of types of aggression in adolescents. The survey was conducted at the end of 2017 among 992 students in 18 primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational schools/high schools in six different cities in different regions of Bulgaria. A structured questionnaire for the study of aggression in school was designed and was intended for students. The results of the study generally show that the verbal aggression towards parents (insulting and shouting) is mostly associated with verbal aggression towards both teachers and classmates. Regarding the influence of TV shows and movies containing aggression, it was found that students who watched movies with military, fighting and bloody scenes demonstrated more frequent manifestations of verbal aggression, but the TV contents did not significantly influence the manifestations of indirect aggression and physical aggression. However, the frequency of playing video games with aggressive content has a significant effect on all investigated forms of aggression, with the strongest effect on physical aggression. Aggression in social networks is a significant factor that affects the frequency of manifestation of various forms of aggression. Students who bully others on social networks stand out as the most aggressive (verbally, physically, and indirectly). Full article