Workplace violence is a fact of life for many care workers – why do we tolerate it?

A new study out of Auckland University of Technology finds nearly eighty percent of New Zealand's home and community care, mental health, addiction and disability support workers face some form of workplace violence on the job. Researcher Katherine Ravenswood reports psychological abuse is most common, with over eighty-five percent of workers describing bullying, threats or verbal abuse from clients or their households, while more than half experienced sexual harassment from clients at least once. The Conversation reports the toll extends beyond the workplace, with nearly half of respondents reporting long-term anxiety or depression tied to the violence. Ravenswood argues the fix starts with better training and funding, since more than half of those surveyed said they simply felt expected to tolerate it as part of the job.

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