Course reflection

Week 11 Crisis Intervention

Student Name Zoraida Seoane

Institution FNU

Violent Behavior in Institutions

The aggression that human service employees face is persistent in the community and it contributes to the rise of crime rates. Violence in the work place may be classified as whichever violent act against property or a person (Abderhalden et al., 2016). Regarding behavior, the aggression frequently leads to harassments, threats, intimidating actions, or other disruptive actions. There are several precipitating factors regarding violent behavior in institutions. These factors allude to particular triggers or events regarding the inception of the present problem. Some of the key factors include substance abuse, deinstitutionalization, and mental illness, among others. Substance abuse is among the main causes of aggressive behaviors against workers. This is particularly so due to the hostile nature regarding substance abusers (Andersen & Teicher, 2015). Drug abuse including alcohol, can interfere with the brain system hence causing an individual on high risk to get involved in violent and aggressive behavior. Narcotics, psychomotor stimulants, alcohol, and hallucinogens, considerably diverge from one another in the manner in which they relate to different types of aggressive and violent behavior.

Mental illness is another major precipitating factor. According to research regarding mental cases, a large number exhibit violent behavior. Patients who have conditions linked to mental sickness, for instance head injuries, brain illnesses, and dementia, have the probability of being aggressive towards the professionals who attend to them (Abderhalden et al., 2016). Patients suffering from personality disorders also exhibit violent behavior due to their anger.

Deinstitutionalization is another factor that increases the level of violence against mental health workforce (Fakhourya & Priebe, 2017). Previously, there used to be controlled environments in managing mental and violent cases. However, due to deinstitutionalization, the establishment of various institutions which handle mental cases for instance daycare, and warehouse amenities has taken place. Majority of these establishments lack adequate members of staff and appropriate follow up with regard to care. Consequently, this situation has created an environment for increased aggression by patients towards professionals.

References

Abderhalden, C., Needham, I., Dassen, T., Halfens, R., Haug, H., Fischer, J. (2016). Structured risk assessment and violence in acute psychiatric wards: randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry. 193:44–50

Andersen, S., Teicher, M. (2015). Desperately driven and no brakes: Developmental stress exposure and subsequent risk for substance abuse. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 33(4):516–524.

Fakhourya, W., Priebe, S. (2017). "Deinstitutionalisation and reinstitutionalisation: major changes in the provision of mental healthcare". Psychiatry. 6 (8): 313–316.