Assaults and injuries among staff with and without training in aggression control techniques

Abstract

A study in a Florida state hospital examined the impact of staff training in aggression control on the incidence of patient assaults on staff and of assault-related injuries. The subjects were 96 unit staff and shift supervisors. Of the 31 staff members who had received aggression control training, only one was assaulted; of the 65 untrained staff, 24 were assaulted, a statistically significant difference. The trained staff member who was assaulted did not sustain an injury, yet 19 of the 24 untrained staff who were assaulted were injured. The authors believe their findings support the implementation of aggression control training to provide staff with techniques to defuse potentially violent situations.