Harassment in workplace among school teachers: development of a survey

Russo, Andrea and Milić, Ranko and Knežević, Bojana and Mulić, Rosanda and Mustajbegović, Jadranka (2008) Harassment in workplace among school teachers: development of a survey. Croatian Medical Journal, 49 (4). pp. 545-552. ISSN 0353-9504

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Abstract

AIM: To develop a questionnaire on harassment in the workplace among teachers at primary and secondary schools. ----- METHODS: We analyzed the existing questionnaires on harassment in the workplace and developed a new one was to specifically address harassment of teachers in the public education sector. The questionnaire was then experimentally applied to a sample of 764 primary and secondary school teachers in Split Dalmatia County, Croatia. It included three scales -exposure to harassment, witnessing harassment, and disturbance by harassment. Validity of the three scales was examined by factor analysis. ----- RESULTS: All three scales showed satisfactory metric characteristics: Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.93 for exposure scale, 0.95 for witnessing scale, and 0.97 for disturbance scale. Out of 764 teachers surveyed, 164 (22.4%) were exposed to and 192 (31.7%) witnessed different kinds of harassment in the previous 12 months. There were significantly more of those who experienced harassment as witnesses (chi(2)(1)=249.301; P<0.001) than as direct victims. Eighty-six teachers (11.5%) reported having psychological and 76 (10.1%) physical health problems caused by their work. Exclusion as a consequence of harassment disturbed women more than men (chi(2)(1)=5.27; P=0.022). Those who were exposed to harassment had significantly lower median age (42; range 23-68) than those who were not exposed (45; range 23-65) (U=31401.50; z=2.129; P=0.033). ----- CONCLUSION: The questionnaire registered wide spectrum of harassment types, indicating the need for continuous monitoring and systematic work on the prevention of these phenomena. The study showed that exposure to harassment is associated with age, indicating that younger teachers should be the target population for detection and prevention of workplace harassment.

Abstract in Croatian

CILJ: Istražiti zastupljenost zlostavljanja na javnom mjestu među nastavnicima osnovnih i srednjih škola. ----- POSTUPCI: Analizirali smo postojeće upitnike i razvili novi upitnik za procjenu zlostavljanja među nastavnicima u državnim školama. Upitnik je eksperimentalno primijenjen na 764 nastavnika osnovnih i srednjih škola u Splitsko-dalmatinskoj županiji, Hrvatska. Upitnik se sastoji od tri ljestvice – osobno iskustvo zlostavljanja, svjedočenje zlostavljanja, i emocionalni utjecaj zlostavljanja. Valjanost sve tri ljestvice procijenjena je faktorskom analizom. ----- REZULTATI: Sve tri ljestvice pokazale su zadovoljavjuće metričke značajke: Koeficijent Cronbach α bio je 0,93 za ljestvicu osobne izloženosti, 0,95 za ljestvicu svjedočenja, i 0,97 za ljestvicu emocionalnog utjecaja. Od 764 ispitana nastavnika, 164 (22,4%) su bila izložena a 192 (31,7%) su svjedočila zlostavljanju u posljednjih 12 mjeseci. Osamdeset i šest nastavnika (11,5%) prijavilo je psihološke a 76 (10,1%) fizičke zdravstvene probleme uzrokovane poslom. Od onih koji su bili izloženi nasilju, značajno više ih je bilo izloženo kao svjedoci (χ21=249,301; P<0.001) nego kao neposredne žrtve. Isključivanje kao oblik nasilja imalo je veći emocionalni utjecaj na žene nego na muškarce (χ21=5,27; P=0,022). Oni koji su bili izloženi nasilju imali su značajno niži medijan godina (42; raspon 23-68) nego oni koji koji nisu bili izloženi (45; raspon 23-65) (U=31401,50; z=2,129; P=0.033). ----- ZAKLJUČAK: Upitnik je zabilježio širok spektar tipova nasilja, što upućuje na potrebu za trajnim motrenjem i sustavnim radom na sprječavanju zlostavljanja. Pokazali smo da je izloženost nasilju povezana s dobi, zbog čega bi mlađi nastavnici trebali biti ciljna populacija za utvrđivanje i sprječavanje nasilja na radnom mjestu.

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